9 Months
by BuffyL
Summary: This is a prequel to My Own Version of the Buffyverse. A friend of mine wanted me to write a sequel, but nothing came to me except a prequel. RR and Enjoy!
1. Between

A/N One of my friends wanted a sequel to "My Own Version of the Buffyverse." I didn't really see a sequel to it this soon, so I settled for a prequel. This is what happened from when Buffy and Angel met at that place between Sunnydale and LA and the whole 9 months she was pregnant.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Between "Buffy, what is it?" Giles asked when he saw Buffy come back into the trashed living room with a small traveling bag.  
  
"Angel." Buffy answered, looking up at Giles.  
  
"Is he in trouble?"  
  
"He knows that I'm ... He, he needs to see me. I have to see him."  
  
"Yes, of course. You'll leave for L.A. tomorrow."  
  
"Not L.A. And not here. Somewhere in the middle. There's a, a place."  
  
"I see. Well, we should get all these ... bills and things out of the way before."  
  
"I gotta go now." Buffy turned to leave, but paused and look back at Giles. "Um, thanks for taking care of this for me." With that, Buffy headed out the door and into the Jeep. She started up the car and headed for the freeway. She loved everyone, but they just didn't understand the importance of how much she needed Angel right now. She didn't really know if she should tell him where she really had been, but there was something that told her she wouldn't have to. Somehow, Angel would know. He always knew. While she drove, Buffy's thoughts were on Angel and making sure she didn't get pulled over. She was driving without a license. Buffy tried not to speed, but at times it was almost impossible. She was ready to burst out crying at the very thought of seeing Angel's sweet and loving face again. But also, in a way, she felt guilty because she hadn't told Dawn anything to tell Angel. She told Dawn to tell Willow and everyone else something, but not Angel. He would understand though, wouldn't he? He was Angel. He loved her, would always love her. She loved him and would always love him.  
  
"Get it together Summers! It's just Angel. God! Which is exactly why I'm so crazy right now. I've missed him. Ever since that kiss we shared at my mom's grave, I've missed him like I did when he first left Sunnydale. Sometimes I swear, I must be crazy for loving him and keeping hope alive for us. Ahh! This is so damned frustrating. I need a minor distraction." Buffy said to herself. She looked over at the radio. After a second, she turned it on and listened to the slow song that came out of it. The song was about lost love and heartache. Boy, could she ever identify to this song! Twice she had lost the man she loved, but only one meant more to her than anything ever had. Now she was going to see him again. Just the two of them, alone.  
  
"That didn't work!" Buffy turned the radio off and went back to concentrating on where she was going.  
  
As soon as exit 65 showed itself, she put her turn signal on and pulled onto the ramp. It was only a few miles now. A few miles separated her from Angel, from someone who understood perfectly what she must be going through. Maybe not exactly, but close. They both died twice and were both brought back from the dead. Strange how things worked out.  
  
Buffy pulled up in the black Jeep and spotted Angel's black convertible. She looked around and spotted him skulking in the shadows not far from the car. She turned the engine off, pocketed the keys, and got out walking up to him. As soon as she reached him, he pulled her into the tightest most loving hug she had ever received from him.  
  
"Buffy, God, Buffy!" he said frantically running his hands up and down her back, checking to see if she was really there in his arms, alive and well. He kissed her neck, shoulders, cheeks, nose, anything that he could find to kiss on her face.  
  
Tears welled in her eyes as he hugged her and a knot got caught in her throat. She couldn't speak. All she wanted was for him to hold her and kiss her like he was right at this moment.  
  
"Buffy, are you really here?"  
  
"Yes, lover, I'm really here." She finally managed to choke out between sobs and fast falling tears. Her legs didn't support her though and she would have fell except for Angel's strong arms that held her up.  
  
"I've got you baby. Don't worry." He picked her up and took her to a room not far from the cars. When he finally managed to get the door closed without hurting her, he took her to the bed and laid her down. She wouldn't let his neck go, so he was forced to climb into the bed with her. There they laid for hours, Buffy letting all her frustrations out through her tears and sobs like she had only done for Angel, and Angel laying there, holding her tightly to him.  
  
When he made sure she was soundly asleep, Angel slipped from the room to get her something to eat. She looked so thin. Thinner than the last time he had seen her. Thank God he had picked a place with somewhere to eat. Maybe not for himself, but for her. Angel had brought his own food. There were four packets of blood in the mini refrigerator that had come with the room.  
  
Angel walked into the restaurant and went to the counter. Surprisingly, the place was busy for a restaurant out in the middle of nowhere. He waited there for a good while before a lady came up to take his order. Angel remembered Buffy talking about chicken fingers and honey mustard that day that she shouldn't remember, but somehow did. She had said that that was her favorite food and that he should try them sometime. If only they had known how that day was going to end at the time.  
  
"Can I take your order cutie?" the waitress asked in a think southern accent.  
  
"Um, do you have chicken fingers and honey mustard?" Angel asked politely, ignoring the cutie comment.  
  
"If we didn't I'd sure find you some. Looks like it's your lucky day. Yeah, we got 'em."  
  
"All right, then can I have a thing of those with some French fries and a diet coke to go?"  
  
"Anything for you doll. Not everyday I meet someone as good looking as you here. Are you single?"  
  
"Um, not technically, no."  
  
"She must be one hell of a gal to get you."  
  
"She is."  
  
"Where's she at then?"  
  
"She's sleeping in the room I rented."  
  
"You married? The way you're looking as you talk about her, you must be."  
  
"No. No, we're not married." Angel replied sadly.  
  
"But you wanna be." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.  
  
"That'll never happen." Angel said to himself.  
  
The waitress left to place his order and Angel went to sit down at a table to wait. He looked down at the claddagh ring he still wore. Angel wanted Buffy so much, that at times to even think her name it hurt. It didn't help him much that he refused to move on and always wore the ring. Buffy had probably taken hers off a long time ago. She had had Riley and she had loved him, so she doubtlessly hadn't worn it then. Buffy still loved him, of that he was certain, but she had moved on and she didn't see him like that. Not like he still saw her and would forever see her.  
  
"Hey doll face, you ok?"  
  
Angel looked up at the waitress that had taken his order. She was holding a Styrofoam food container and staring at him intently. "Excuse me?"  
  
"I asked if you were ok. You've been sitting over here for a while looking at that ring of yours like it's the most important thing in the world."  
  
"That's because it is."  
  
"She give it to you?"  
  
"No. I gave one to her and this is mine."  
  
"It's pretty. Wish I could find a man to spend that kind of money on me." The waitress sighed. "Well, here's your food." She handed him the warm container.  
  
"Thank you." Angel stood and started to walk away.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Angel turned around.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Angel."  
  
"Pretty. My name's Caroline. It was a pleasure talking to ya."  
  
"You too." Angel left the restaurant and headed back to the room. He turned the key and silently opened the door. When he got in, he found a few lights on and Buffy sitting on the bed looking a bit angrily at him.  
  
"Where were you? I thought you had left me again!" Buffy cried, tears starting to form in her eyes.  
  
"Shh, love. I'm right here. I went to get you some food. By the looks of you, it's exactly what you need."  
  
"No, no, no. I need you, not food!"  
  
"Buffy, baby, calm down."  
  
"Promise me you won't do that again!"  
  
"I promise."  
  
After a short spell, Buffy looked up and said timidly, "What'd ya bring me?"  
  
He smiled and walked over to her with the bag from the restaurant. When Buffy opened it and saw the contents, she let out the first genuine smile since she had been brought back. She pulled out a bag full of fries, a box of fried chicken tenders, a diet coke, and four things of honey mustard. Her favorites! Angel really knew how to spoil a girl!  
  
"I.I remembered your favorite and when I saw they had it in the restaurant here, well, you know. I don't know if the honey mustard is exactly like what you like, but I got it anyway, just in case." Angel said, standing away from her.  
  
"Come here." She stated simply.  
  
He obeyed and sat down beside her. She pushed the food over to him and he gratefully took a fry, even though he didn't really need it like she did. She smiled watching him eat the fry and then she continued eating. Every now and then Angel would pick up a fry and feed that to her. She liked this: the very nearness of him.  
  
They continued to chat lightly about everything but what was going on with Buffy. She finished her lunch slash dinner and put the container on the nightstand.  
  
"My basement is still flooded and my house is a complete wreck." Buffy said.  
  
"From that demon that was sent to kill you?"  
  
"Well the wreck part, yeah. But the basement was kind of my fault."  
  
"How?"  
  
"There was a leak, I went to fix it, and I busted the pipe with my super power by accident."  
  
"Why didn't you call a plumber?"  
  
"We did. Afterwards. That is an even bigger problem though."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"Because we had to pay the plumber for telling us our pipes are busted and on top of that we need a full copper re-pipe which will cost even more that what's left of mom's life insurance. Which, trust me, isn't a lot."  
  
"I thought your mom left you and Dawn a whole bunch of money."  
  
"Oh she did."  
  
"Then where did it all go?"  
  
"The summer I was.gone, Willow and Tara used it all up on groceries and clothes for Dawn and minor repairs to things that had gotten a little smashed. How those things got smashed, I have yet to find out."  
  
"God Buffy, I wish there was something I could do. I mean, you're going through this really hard time and I feel obligated to help you."  
  
"Obligated? Angel, I'm not your responsibility anymore. And Dawn never was. I want you to help, but there is nothing you or anyone else can do."  
  
"I'm going to give you some money to take care of things for a while."  
  
"Angel, no."  
  
"Buffy, you've always been my responsibility no matter what you think. I fell in love with you and I took care of you. I didn't mean for it to come out as obligated, but it's more of a 'I want to help' scenario."  
  
"Thank you Angel." She looked up into his eyes and a moment passed between them. It scared Buffy a little because she hadn't felt anything like that in a long while. Buffy looked away sharply. "It's getting late and I'm kind of beat. Why don't I go get something else on and get to bed?"  
  
"You sure you don't want to talk some more?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be right back. I left my bag in the car."  
  
"All right."  
  
Buffy left the room and went to her Jeep. As she opened the door to get her bag, she almost started to cry again. She had ruined a moment that she had wanted to feel again ever since Angel left Sunnydale those two and a half years ago. Angel loved her, he had admitted that, but he didn't want her like that anymore. Not like she still wanted him. Buffy slammed the door a little too hard and went back to the room. When she opened the door, Angel was nowhere in sight. She heard the shower going and figured he was in there. Buffy changed into a tank top and some pajama pants. She walked to the patio door that led out to a beautiful garden behind the hotel. Opening it, she stepped out and breathed the fresh air and the scent of flowers and greenery. This was what she had always wished her life with Angel could have been like. Living in the mansion, happily married, and walking out every night into the garden and smelling the beautiful sweet-fragranted flowers. Buffy sighed and turned to go back in, but nearly ran into Angel. He was in a pair of old sweat pants and naked from the waist up. There was a small sheen of water left on him from the shower and it made him look oh so irresistible.  
  
Buffy swallowed hard. "Sorry."  
  
"It's ok. What were you doing out there?"  
  
"Just breathing some fresh air."  
  
"I thought you were going to bed."  
  
"I was. I just wanted some fresh air, that's all."  
  
"Hey. Whoa, slow down. I was just saying. I wasn't trying to be confrontational."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just really edgy ever since." Buffy trailed off. "So, um, what about you? I mean, there's only one bed in here and a floor. Unless you wanna sleep in the bed with me."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, I pretty much know I can restrain myself from doing anything bad."  
  
"I'm sure. I mean, I can restrain too. We both know that we should never. and besides, we've slept together before. I.I mean not SLEPT together, b.but you know sleep as in snooze. But we have.slept together. That was a long time ago though and you probably don't see me like that anymore." Buffy made her way towards the bed and sat down.  
  
Angel went over to her and sat beside her. "Buffy, is that what you think, that I don't want you like that anymore?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you left me. Remember?"  
  
"Just because I left you doesn't mean that I don't still want you like that. I'll always want you Buffy. You're the only girl that ever really mattered to me."  
  
"You're so calm about all this."  
  
"I've had years of practice. Come on. You're babbling. Climb into bed."  
  
Buffy stood up and Angel lifted the covers for her. She climbed in and settled down into the pillow. Angel went to the other side and climbed into bed with her. Buffy rolled over and snuggled against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her frail form and kissed her hair. After a while she drifted off to sleep and Angel listened to the steady rhythm of her heart. He listened for about an hour before it put him to sleep too. Both laid there and dreamed of the other all night long. Buffy was content to let this go on forever. For the first night in a long while, she rested peacefully in her lover's arms. 


	2. Getting to Know Each Other...Again

Chapter 2  
  
Getting to Know Each Other.Again  
  
"Wow, a motel with a garden." Buffy said.  
  
"Yup. It is beautiful for a motel." Angel replied.  
  
They were walking hand in hand through the gardens after they had eaten supper at the restaurant. The last couple of days had been the best of Buffy's life after death. She had spilled every last detail to Angel about where she had been and how she felt, even now. She was miserable, but she was coping. Her friends didn't know, only Spike. With Angel, though, things were different. She felt like she had never died and been dragged out of heaven. She felt as if she and Angel had never broken apart.  
  
"So, this waitress, she had a thing for you?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did."  
  
"Why'd you tell her your name?"  
  
"I don't know, I was more concerned for you. Why?"  
  
"I don't know really. I guess it was just weird to have a complete stranger come up to me and congratulate me on bagging you."  
  
Angel chuckled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'd forgotten how much I'd missed talking to you."  
  
"It had been nice. I almost wish that I didn't have to go back."  
  
"Almost?"  
  
"Well, I'd say 'I wish', but there are some good things at home. What they are, I have absolutely no clue, but I'll let you know when I find them."  
  
Angel laughed this time. Buffy joined him and they stopped to just stand there and laugh. After a few seconds, Buffy looked up to find Angel staring intently at her. She looked back and then stood on tiptoe. Slowly, as if to make sure it was ok with him, she leaned in and they shared a kiss. As soon as they broke apart, they were back again. Angel started to walk and Buffy went willingly along. Soon they were headed back to the room. When they reached it, they were kissing fiercely. Angel shut the door and drew the shades while his lips were still locked with Buffy's. He knew that he shouldn't be doing this. Something could happen, but something was off. Why wasn't he stopping all this? He led her towards the bed, clothes being stripped off so fast that he could have sworn that he heard they being ripped off. They broke away long enough for Buffy to take a breath or two of air before they resumed. She sat down on the bed, all the while Angel following her. He straddled her as she sat there and then she fell gently back on the bed. He of course followed her down and kissed her stretched out stomach, leaving a trail from there up to her neck. She was in heaven, only not literally, and so was he.  
  
  
  
Buffy woke the next morning in a small panic. She remembered what she and Angel had done the night before and knew that they shouldn't have. Buffy tried to bolt up, but Angel's arm held her there. Buffy started to struggle, but then realized that Angel was still there and she was curled up at his side, not dead and not un-dead. She looked up at his content face in shock. Suddenly, Angel shot up.  
  
"Ahh!" Buffy cried as she went up with him.  
  
Angel looked over at her. "I gotta get outta here! You're in danger!"  
  
"Angel."  
  
He started to get out of bed, but Buffy held him in place. "Buffy, please! I need to get out of here!"  
  
"You're still here."  
  
"That's why I need to get out!" Then the Buffy's meaning sunk in. "I'm still here."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Why am I still here?"  
  
"Don't ask me! I'm not a damn gypsy." She shifted the covers and covered herself up.  
  
"I.I'm still here. With you."  
  
"With me? You said that like it was a bad thing."  
  
"It's not a bad thing. I just meant that we weren't supposed to do that and yet we did that and here I am."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Maybe what?"  
  
"Maybe we've grown apart so much that I don't make you happy anymore." Buffy said sadly.  
  
Angel wrapped her in his arms. "Buffy that would never happen. I love you more than life itself. You are the one thing on this whole planet that causes me to be perfectly happy."  
  
"Are you sure, cause I mean. you're still here."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"We need to figure this out."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I'd say talk to Giles, but he would probably explode if I told him we got groiny."  
  
"You're right about that. And Wesley probably would too."  
  
"So. we keep it to ourselves?"  
  
"We're going to have to."  
  
"Speaking of friends, I have a bunch of them that are going to worry about me if I don't come home soon."  
  
"I do too." Angel looked at Buffy and she smiled. Angel leaned in and kissed her. "It's our little secret."  
  
"Mmm, our little secret."  
  
"Come on and get dressed. Let's go get breakfast."  
  
"Fine by me." Buffy hopped out of bed and went to her bag. She pulled out some underwear, a pair of jogging pants, and a spaghetti strap top. Putting those on, she turned to find Angel in something quite similar. Only he had a tee shirt on.  
  
"Ready?" Buffy asked.  
  
"As I'll ever be."  
  
Sticking to the shadows, Buffy and Angel made their way to the restaurant. The bell chimed as they opened the door and walked in.  
  
Buffy giggled. "Reminds me of the bell at the Magic Box."  
  
They sat down and a waitress came up, gave them menus and took their drink orders. Naturally they didn't have a glass of O positive, so Angel stuck with a coke. Buffy got a big glass of orange juice.  
  
"What do you want?" Angel asked as they stared at the menus.  
  
"I don't know. I don't really eat breakfast anymore. Something cheap."  
  
"Buffy, I'm paying. If you wanted, I'd give you everything on the menu."  
  
"I'm not that big of a pig!"  
  
"I know."  
  
The waitress came back with their drinks and took their food orders. Angel, to be polite, got a plate of eggs and toast. Buffy got a plate of French toast and two strips of bacon.  
  
"I didn't know you liked French toast." Angel said.  
  
"Yeah, I just never have the energy to make it."  
  
"So, what are you going to do when you get home?"  
  
"I don't know. Giles is going to suggest I get a job, so I might start looking around for one. But, what's a slayer going to do? I don't have any useful job skills. At least not for any normal job. But there is one thing that Anya brought up that was a little tempting."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That I start charging people for saving them."  
  
Angel laughed outright.  
  
"I didn't know it was THAT funny."  
  
"It's not."  
  
"You laughed."  
  
"I did because I know where she got the idea from."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Cordelia. That's what Angel Investigations does. We charge people to help them out. I didn't exactly want to at first, like you, but after a while, the idea helped out financially. I mean, not that I needed it, but Cordy did."  
  
"That's Cordelia though. Of course she would suggest that."  
  
"She's changed a lot since the last time you saw her. She's not the old high school Cordelia."  
  
"You mean the one that always made fun of me, dated my friend Xander, dissed our whole social group, and did I mention the making fun?"  
  
"Yeah, that Cordy. She's not like that any more. I mean, she does have relapses, but other than that, she is completely different."  
  
Buffy was about to comment when their food came. The waitress set the plates down and left them a check, telling them to pay at the counter. Buffy poured her syrup over the slices of French toast and set the bottle aside. Angel lightly buttered his toast while he watched her cut the bread into squares and eat a cut piece every now and then. She looked up and gave him a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Nothing." Angel said. "I'm just thinking about last night."  
  
"You regret it, don't you?"  
  
"No! Never. I could never regret that Buffy. I'm just still trying to figure out what's going on. I should be Angelus right now."  
  
"Let's just stop thinking for right now. It's still early."  
  
"Buffy, it's like 11:30."  
  
"It's an ungodly hour."  
  
"Used to those late morning sleep-ins, huh?"  
  
"You know it. I usually wake up to an empty house. Unless it's Saturday, then Xander and Dawn are usually downstairs watching cartoons."  
  
Angel took a few bites of his eggs before he said more. "So, um, when you go back. are you going to tell anything about these past four days?"  
  
"I'll tell them some, but not everything. If I told them everything, they would probably flip and kick me out of my own house."  
  
"They still don't like me too much there, huh?"  
  
"It's not that. They know what should happen when we do that and if they found out we did that, then they will totally flip and try to come kill you. Especially Xander. You know how is."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
Buffy put her fork down. "I'm full."  
  
"You barely ate!"  
  
"I told you, I'm not a big breakfast person anymore."  
  
"I know. Come on. I'll pay for the food and then we'll go talk some more in the room."  
  
Buffy nodded and Angel went to the counter. He paid the cook there and came back to Buffy. He took her hand and led her to the room. Once they were in, Buffy went to the table and chair by the window and sat down. Angel took the other chair.  
  
"Will you ever tell them?" Angel asked.  
  
"About?"  
  
"Where you really were."  
  
"I doubt I ever will. Willow would be so hurt and Xander would blame himself for it all. I don't want to hurt them. Willow's intentions were purely of the good, but she never really even thought of the possibility that I could have been in heaven."  
  
"I would have."  
  
"Of course you would have Angel. You and I have a connection that not even death could break. Look at us now."  
  
"Do you ever wish that you could go back?"  
  
"Everyday." Buffy saw Angel's hurt look. "But these were the first four days that I've gone without wishing that."  
  
"I'm honored."  
  
"So am I."  
  
"What are you honored for?"  
  
"You went on. You fought the bad guys in my name. You didn't go to that freaky doctor guy and get your heart cut out because I was dead. Cordy was right, you were honoring me. It was exactly what I wanted you to do: go on living and fighting the good fight. And for that, I'm truly honored."  
  
Angel was silent.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You just gave me closure. I thought that I would never get to hold you ever again. I thought that I would never get the chance to tell you how much I love you. Now, to hear you say it after you've come back to this world, it is the most closure inspiring thing."  
  
"You are a man of many words."  
  
"I went to your grave the night after Willow told me that you were gone."  
  
  
  
"Willow!" Cordy said as they walked in.  
  
Angel looked at Willow and knew. "It's Buffy." Angel said.  
  
Willow stood and he went to her. She hugged him as he started to cry. Behind him, Cordy and Wes were crying also.  
  
"I'm so sorry Angel." Willow said.  
  
"Oh God Buffy!" Angel cried.  
  
He released her and fell on the settee, his face landing in his hands. Willow and Cordy hugged and then Willow and Wesley. Cordy came over to Angel and hugged him.  
  
"We'll leave you alone for right now." Cordy said as calmly as she was able.  
  
She got up and led everyone but Willow out of the lobby. Willow came over to Angel and sat next to him. After a time, Angel sat up a little and asked quietly, "How?"  
  
"I know Buffy told you about Glory and Dawn. Well, we all went to fight her. We won over Glory, but a demon that had worshipped her went up on a tower made by crazy people and opened the portal with Dawn's blood. Buffy went to save her, but it was too late, the portal had already been opened. Dawn's the only one who knows what Buffy did up there on that tower. But she told us that Buffy figured out that her blood would close the portal also. She sacrificed herself for Dawn and the rest of the world. We buried her yesterday at the Sunnydale Cemetery under a beautiful willow tree. We put a picture of you and her that was taken before you ever lost your soul in her casket with her. She's wearing the ring you gave her on her left ring finger."  
  
Angel was silent, more tears falling. Willow rubbed his back and sat there with him. Angel looked at Willow and told her thank you and he went up to his room. He curled up on his bed and cried over his lost love. Buffy was gone.  
  
Cordy, Wesley, and Gunn tried to get him to come out for two days. He would have none of it. The night after Willow had come, Angel got the courage to get up and go to Sunnydale. He dressed in Buffy's favorite outfit of his and slipped out without anyone noticing. He drove all the way to Sunnydale in silence and straight to the graveyard. Walking silently, he found Buffy's grave. Silently, he stood there and stared at the headstone, trying to convince himself that it wasn't really there.  
  
"Hey lover." Angel said after a time. "Willow told me that you were gone. I didn't want to believe it. Actually, I locked myself up in my room for two days. I know if you were here that you would tell me that was a stupid thing to do. I know it was, so you don't have to tell me. Anyways, I plan on going away for a while. I'm going to a monastery in Sri Lanka. I don't really want everyone patting my back and telling me it's going to be ok." Angel started to cry. "Because it's not. You're gone Buffy! You were the first person I ever loved and now you're gone! How am I supposed to go on without one of your phone calls? How am I supposed to go on fighting knowing that you're not here in Sunnydale doing the same thing?" Angel took a breath and wiped away his tears. "I want you here to tell me that it's going to be ok. I want you here so I can tell you how much I still love you. You know, I think you died without knowing just how much I love you. Well, I hope you can hear me now wherever you are because I'm trying to tell you that I love you. I will always love you. I don't want you to go on forever wherever you are and not know that. There won't be a day, or night in our case, that will go by that I won't think of you. That I won't think of your gorgeous face, your beaming smile, the way you got your body to move in a great fight, the way we fought side-by-side, and there is so much more that I can't put into words. I just hope you got the point." He sighed. "I.I hope that there wasn't any pain for you. Willow said you jumped into a portal. I know how that can be. I got back from this demon dimension not too long ago and there was some portal jumping there. We had to go in and save Cordelia. She got sucked in when we were trying to return a cousin of a friend of mine. You'd be proud of her Buffy, she's really changed. She cried too when she found out you were gone. Wesley cried too. I knew he was a sap, but I didn't think I would ever see him cry." Angel looked at the gravestone. "'Beloved sister, devoted friend. She saved the world. a lot.' You sure did. You even had to save it from me. How many apocalypses did you stop? The number was up there." He chuckled. "You know, this is probably starting to scare you. I never really talk this much all by myself. You were usually the one who could do that. I guess you've always brought things out of me that I never knew were there. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be in that alley in New York, or worse. Now's the time when you're supposed to tell me that I'm babbling. You're supposed to stop me by kissing me like I used to do you. But will never happen again, will it? Speaking of kisses, there's something that I wanted to tell you. I've been holding onto this memory for two years almost. You won't remember it though. Anyway, do you remember back in 2000 when you came to the old office to tell me how mad you were that I was in Sunnydale and didn't come by to see you? Well, there was more to that demon I killed in the office. You see, I really didn't kill it. Before that, he escaped. We went to look for it and I found it. I fought it and got some of its blood mixed in with mine and it made me human. I went back to the office and ate pretty much everything I could find. Doyle, he's the Irish guy you met that day, and I went to see the Oracles to see if I was really human. They said I was. Then I went out to find you. You were on the Santa Monica Pier. I walked right up to you and swept you into one of the most amazing kisses ever. We went back to my apartment under the office and talked. We were trying to be adults about everything and not fall into our passions and desires. That was stupid because all it took was one touch and we lost it. We made love on the kitchen table a couple of times before we moved to the bedroom and went at it a few times there. We ate and had fun. You told me that you felt like a normal girl. Then we fell asleep. I woke up before you and went to fight that demon who had recharged itself. I was beat bad and you came in and saved me. I realized that it wasn't going to work out, me being human that is, not us. You went back to the apartment and I went to see the Oracles again. They gave us back the day so you wouldn't die because of that demon who said that an army was going to come and destroy you. I came back and I told you and you got mad. I tried to calm you down, but when you found out we only had about a minute left, you cried and told me that you had felt my heart beat. I cried too. You kept telling me that you would never forget. Then there was a flash and we were back to what you remember. I know this sounds weird, but it's all true. That was the best day of my life." Angel sighed. "I'll stay here as long as you want me. I told you that once after your mom had died. You told me 'Forever. Does forever work for you?' I wanted to say yes. I truly did, but you didn't give me the chance. We shared a kiss that night too. If I had known that it was going to be our last ever, I would have made it more special. So, I'm going to sit here for a little while just to make sure that you know that forever works for me. Ok?" Angel sat down next to her gravestone and started to cry silently.  
  
  
  
"You told me all that?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I did. I didn't want to leave you all alone Buffy. I know how scary it is to be in a grave."  
  
"It's the scariest thing in the world. Especially the part where you have to claw your way out."  
  
"I remember."  
  
"You once told me that it was a little disorienting when you first wake up. Do remember telling me that?"  
  
"Yes, I do remember that."  
  
"And I said that it was weird to know you went through that."  
  
"Now I can tell you the same thing. Only I want to change weird to it makes me mad."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because, they left you there in your grave. It was bad enough to be brought back from where you were, but to wake up in your coffin and have to claw your way out is traumatizing. And to think, you're best friends think that your behavior is because you were in hell."  
  
"It's not their fault. They had every right to think that." Buffy looked at the clock. It was already 4:30 in the afternoon. They had talked all day. "Angel, I should really get going. Dawn."  
  
"I understand. I have things to get back to also. I'll go check us out."  
  
Angel got up and left and Buffy started to pack what little things she had brought. When she was done, Angel still hadn't come back, so she packed his things up too. Turning the lights off, she left the room with the two bags and waited by their cars that were now in the shadows. Angel came around the corner and walked up to her. She looked up at him.  
  
"I don't really want to go." Buffy said.  
  
"Neither do I."  
  
"But we have lives to get back to."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Will you call?"  
  
"Of course I will."  
  
Buffy nodded and started to get into her car.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What are we going to do about.?"  
  
"I don't know. We'll talk?"  
  
"We'll talk."  
  
Buffy got into her car and started the engine. Angel came over to her window. She rolled it down and Angel leaned into the car and kissed her.  
  
They broke apart and Angel looked at her. "I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"Tell Dawn I said hi."  
  
"I will. Tell Cordy and Wes the same?"  
  
"Planned on it."  
  
Buffy gave a little wave and pulled away from the parking lot. Angel watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore before he climbed into his car and drove back to LA. Both thought about what had happened the night before, trying to figure out why it had ended this way instead of the bad way. Trying to figure out if this meant they should get back together since they both obviously wanted to. 


	3. Newsflash

Chapter 3  
  
Newsflash  
  
Buffy came out of the bathroom and curled up on her bed. She gripped her stomach, which hurt really bad. She assumed that it was from Spike the other night who had tried to get really rough. She had forgiven him because he had been pissed off at Faith. They were supposed to go patrolling that night. Buffy didn't know if she could make it. This had been an ongoing thing for the past week. She had had her head in a toilet throwing up stuff she ate five years ago and today was the worst of them all. Buffy moaned as she fell asleep.  
  
In her sleep, she dreamed. She dreamed of everything that had happened over the last couple of months. She had revealed her secret through a song, she had slept with Spike on more than one occasion, Tara had left Willow, she had talked to Angel many, many times, and she had gone through a few jobs. Now she was working at the Doublemeat Palace.  
  
There was a knock at her door that woke Buffy up. She went to the door and opened it. It was Spike.  
  
"What do you want?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We were supposed to patrol. I got here and Dawn said you had been asleep all day.. Are you ok?" Spike asked.  
  
"I'm better now, but I was throwing up again this morning."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"This has been going on for a week. I wake up, throw my guts up, go back to sleep, and sleep all day."  
  
"You need to see a doctor."  
  
"I said I'm fine. Let's just go." Buffy grabbed a coat and left with Spike.  
  
They were quiet the whole way. Spike was getting a little worried about her. He loved her still even after she had dumped him when Military Guy had come back into Sunnydale. Thank God he had found Faith. But Buffy and him still had a connection that she refused to see. A month and a half ago, Buffy had been to see Angel. She had come back acting a little secretive. Then she and he had hooked up in an abandoned house all night long. For about a month she and he had had some good times. Then Riley had come back in, exposed his little money making deal and Buffy had dumped him.  
  
"How's Faith?" Buffy asked suddenly.  
  
"Huh? Oh! She's good. Happy to be out of that hell whole jail in LA."  
  
"Good."  
  
All of a sudden, a vampire jumped out of a tree and attacked them. Buffy threw a good few punches before getting knocked back and letting Spike in. He dusted the vamp and turned around to face Buffy.  
  
"That pouncy bugger! Interrupted our cha." Spike started.  
  
"Spike." Buffy fell to the ground unconscious.  
  
"Buffy!" Spike went to her and tried to wake her, but she was out. He scooped her up into his arms and ran to the hospital. Bursting into the emergency room, Spike went to the counter and asked for a doctor. The nurse sent for one and a couple of guys came out with a stretcher. Spike laid Buffy on it and tried to go with her, but they wouldn't let him.  
  
Buffy woke up on a table where someone was shining a light into her eye. She swatted the hand away and tried to sit up. She went back down though due to unexpected dizziness.  
  
"Miss Summers?" the man asked.  
  
"That's me. Where am I?" Buffy asked.  
  
"You're in the ER. You're friend William brought you in. He said that you fainted while you two were walking."  
  
"William? Oh, Spike. Yeah, walking. Well, now that I'm awake I can go." Buffy sat up and tried to hop off the table. "See ya. Thanks for everything."  
  
The doctor laid a hand on Buffy's shoulder and sat her back down. "You're friend also said that for the past week you've been waking up, vomiting, and then going back to sleep."  
  
"Yeah. Is that bad? I figured it was just a cold or some kind of flu."  
  
"I have some questions to ask you. Is that ok?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"When was your last period?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just answer the question Miss Summers."  
  
"Um, about a month or two ago."  
  
"Have you had any incessant cravings?"  
  
"Kind of. I am kind of hungry a lot."  
  
"Have you noticed any swelling in you stomach or breasts?"  
  
"Pft! I wish in the breast department. But the stomach, kind of. I'm just putting on weight."  
  
"Do you have frequent headaches?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Have you had to use the bathroom a lot?"  
  
"Yeah. Especially when I wake up!"  
  
"Do you mind if I take a blood sample?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I have a theory about what is wrong with you, but I just want to be sure."  
  
"I guess. Just as long as you tell me what this theory of yours is."  
  
The doctor had been picking up supplies from a drawer and now held a needle with one hand. He came over to Buffy and rubbed her arm with an alcohol swab and patted her arm. Buffy turned away as he stuck the needle in and drew blood. Buffy hissed in minor pain. The doctor took the needle out and went back to the counter. He started to do something with her blood.  
  
"Doctor? What do you think is wrong with me?"  
  
"My theory? From the questions I asked you and the answers I received, I think you may be pregnant."  
  
Buffy stared at the doctor. "You're kidding!" Buffy started to laugh hard.  
  
"No, I'm not kidding." The doctor said that in all seriousness.  
  
Buffy stopped laughing. She stared at the doctor for another minute then she fainted. It was only for a few seconds. She righted herself on the table and looked at the doctor.  
  
"Congratulations. I will have the test results within the next week." With that the doctor walked out.  
  
Buffy stood on shaky legs and walked out of the room out into the waiting room. She was in shock. Spike walked up to her.  
  
"Are you ok? What'd the doc have to say?" Spike asked.  
  
"He.he said.I'm pregnant." Buffy said.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"I.I'm pre.pregnant."  
  
"How? I mean, I can't. I'm the only one you've been with in the last two months."  
  
Buffy didn't answer.  
  
"I am the only one right?"  
  
Buffy looked up at him.  
  
"God Buffy! Who?"  
  
"Angel." She said quietly.  
  
"Oh! That's just bloody great! Here comes the next apocalypse!"  
  
"No, no he's just fine. He kept his soul. But it's completely impossible for either one of you."  
  
"Tell me about it. Did the doc perform any tests to confirm?"  
  
"He took some of my blood. Before that he ask these real specific questions and I answered yes to pretty much all of them."  
  
"When will you know?"  
  
"Sometime this week."  
  
"This is just too strange."  
  
"I'm going to have to tell Giles."  
  
"Not until you know though, right?"  
  
"Right. Of course."  
  
"Bloody hell Buffy! This is just too strange!"  
  
"Tell me about it." They arrived at her house. "Listen, as soon as I get the results, we'll sit down and figure out what this is all about."  
  
"All right."  
  
Buffy walked into her house and shut the door.  
  
"Hey Buffy!" Dawn said.  
  
"Hey." Buffy said dejectedly.  
  
"How was patrol?"  
  
"It was.eventful. I'm going to bed. Night Dawn."  
  
"Night Buffy."  
  
  
  
"Buffy! Phone for you!" Willow called up the stairs.  
  
"Who is it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I don't know, but he called you Miss Summers."  
  
"Oh." Buffy picked up her phone. "It's ok Will, you can hang it up!" She waited for the click. "Hello?"  
  
"Miss Summers?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"This is Dr. Stanton. The doctor from the hospital?"  
  
"Oh hi!"  
  
"I'm holding the test results in my hand. I'm sorry it took so long."  
  
"Ah, it was only seven days, five hours, and 23 minutes."  
  
"Would you like to know the results?"  
  
"Yes, please!"  
  
"You are pregnant. I placed the conception date around October 23 and you are now into your seventh week."  
  
"Thank you. Thank you very much."  
  
"I take it this wasn't a planned pregnancy."  
  
"You take right."  
  
"Well, congratulations."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Buffy hung up the phone. She ran out of the room and out the door. She ran past Willow and said that she would be back in a little while. Buffy headed straight for the graveyard. She burst into Spike's crypt.  
  
"Spike! Spike!"  
  
He emerged from his tunnel entrance. "Buffy, what is it luv?"  
  
"It's not yours!"  
  
"What's not?"  
  
"The baby."  
  
"You are pregnant?"  
  
'Yes. I just got off the phone with the doctor. My test results were in. It's not yours!"  
  
"How do you figure that?"  
  
"The doctor said that it was conceived around the 23rd of October. I was with only one person around that date."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Angel!"  
  
"Are you going to tell him?"  
  
"I have to. I mean, it's his."  
  
"Congratulations, you've bagged the love of your life."  
  
"Spike."  
  
"No, I'm serious."  
  
"Will you meet me at the Magic Box in half an hour?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Bring Faith." With that, Buffy was running again. She ran to the Magic Box where Giles, Anya, and Xander were startled as she burst in.  
  
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed.  
  
"I.I have something to tell you all." Buffy said.  
  
"Go on."  
  
"Not now. I want everyone here. Xander, could you call Willow and Dawn? They're at home. After that, call Tara. Tell them to meet us here."  
  
"You got it." Xander hopped up and got on the phone.  
  
"Buffy, what is all this about?" Giles asked.  
  
"Can I see you in the training room? I want to tell you in private."  
  
"Certainly."  
  
He led Buffy back to the training area and shut the door behind them. Buffy walked a little ways and stopped. She didn't turn to face him, so Giles assumed that whatever she was trying to say, it was going to be hard to get out.  
  
"Giles." Buffy said without turning.  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"This is going to be hard to say."  
  
"I see that."  
  
"Do you remember when I went to see Angel?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I didn't tell you everything that went on there. What happened there has a lot to do with my big news."  
  
"All right."  
  
"Giles," This timed Buffy turned. "Angel and I. we had sex."  
  
"You what!?"  
  
"We gave into our passions and made love."  
  
"Buffy! You know that you are not supposed to do that! My God! And with Willow off the magicks, we have no chance of getting his soul back!"  
  
"Giles! Whoa! Slow down. He's not Angelus. He's still Angel. I wanted to tell you so we could figure out why, but I knew you would blow up."  
  
"Well Buffy. You knew what the possible consequences were. I have every reason to scold you."  
  
"I understand that."  
  
"You say that his soul is still intact?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How did that happen?"  
  
"I don't know. At first I thought it was me, but he reassured me that it wasn't. He did experience perfect happiness. And he's about to experience more."  
  
"Yes, your other news."  
  
"Giles, I'm pregnant."  
  
This time, he had nothing to say.  
  
"Giles?"  
  
"I.you.uh."  
  
"Tell me about it!"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, I don't think I need to give you the birds and the bees talk."  
  
"I don't mean that."  
  
"Oh! You mean how can Angel get me pregnant when he's a vampire!"  
  
"Precisely."  
  
"I don't know. I was kind of hoping that you would know."  
  
"I have absolutely no clue. For the first time I have no logical explanation."  
  
"Guys, everyone is here. Including Spike and Faith." Xander said. He had opened the door and poked his head in. "Geez, it's tense in here!"  
  
"We'll be there in a sec." Buffy said.  
  
Xander shut the door.  
  
"Have you told Angel yet?" Giles asked.  
  
"Not yet. I plan on it. Probably tonight or tomorrow."  
  
"You need to tell him as soon as possible. Hopefully you will choose to go tonight. And..uh.. speaking of..uh.. going.. somewhere."  
  
"I hope you're going to tell me over the rainbow."  
  
"I'm going back to England."  
  
"What? You can't! I.I.I need you Giles!"  
  
"You're going to be fine. I'm sorry this came at such an inopportune time, but I've already bought my ticket."  
  
"Uh huh!"  
  
"You have to be strong. I'm.I'm trying to."  
  
"Trying to, to what? Desert me? Abandon me? Leave me all alone when I really need somebody?"  
  
"I don't want to leave."  
  
"So don't. Please don't. I can't do this without you."  
  
"You can. That's why I'm going. As long as I stay you'll always turn to me if something comes up that you feel that you can't handle, and I'll step in because, because ... Because I can't bear to see you suffer."  
  
"Me too. Hate suffering. Had about as much of it as I can take. I'm going through something that no slayer had ever been through and I need my Watcher."  
  
"Believe me, I'm loathe to cause you more, but this... I've taught you all I can about being a slayer, and your mother taught you what you needed to know about life. You ... you're not gonna trust that until you're forced to stand alone. And now you've got this great responsibility, even bigger than being the slayer, put on your shoulders."  
  
"But why now? Now that you know where I've been, what I'm going through as we speak?"  
  
"Now more than ever. The temptation to give up is gonna be overwhelming, and I can't let."  
  
"So I won't! No giving up. You can be here, and I can still be strong."  
  
"Buffy, I've thought this over ... and over. I believe it's the right thing to do. You don't need me like you need Angel right now."  
  
"You're wrong. Sure, I do need Angel, but I need a father too. I need someone to guide me through this who knows what it's like to watch after people that could be your family."  
  
"I'm sorry Buffy."  
  
"Whatever." Buffy got up and left. When she got out in the main part of the Magic Box, everyone looked at her expectantly. "Oh."  
  
"Hey Buffy. What'd you want to tell us?" Dawn asked.  
  
Giles came out of the training room and sat at the table with everyone else. Buffy went to the stairs and sat.  
  
"Guys, there's something that I've been meaning to tell you all that leads up to the biggy news." Buffy sighed. "Remember when I went to see Angel a couple months ago? Well, we sort of.made love."  
  
"What!?" Xander yelled.  
  
"Buffy! How could you?" Willow said.  
  
"Are you serious?" Faith asked.  
  
"Guys, please calm down! I really don't need this!" Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy, do you realize what you've done? You've probably doomed the world!" Xander said.  
  
"No, no I haven't. Angel is still Angel. He still had his soul."  
  
"How?"  
  
"I don't know how! But really, that's not the important thing here."  
  
"Then what is?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Guys, I'm pregnant with Angel's baby."  
  
The room grew silent. They all stared at her except Spike and Giles. Buffy fidgeted a little under their gaze. Spike stood up and went to her.  
  
"It's ok Buffy, I've got your back." Spike whispered. Then to everyone else, "Hey! Can't you all see that this is doing a number on her too? You bloody buggers should all feel ashamed for acting this way towards her. You should be congratulating her." Spike turned to Buffy. "I may have already said this, but congratulations."  
  
"Thank you." Buffy said.  
  
The others all stood and came to congratulate her and ask about the baby. Questions were thrown out asking if Angel knew and if Buffy was going to tell him and when was she going to tell him. She answered all these the best she could. After the commotion calmed down, Buffy left to go see Angel. Giles was left to give the news to everyone that he was leaving the country. Buffy didn't want to hear it again. So she left to see Angel and tell him he was going to be a father. 


	4. Daddy

Chapter 4  
  
Daddy  
  
Buffy pulled up to the Hyperion and turned off the car. She was severely nervous. She sat in the car and took deep calming breaths like Angel had taught her to do during their Tai Chi workouts. After a few seconds, she had calmed down enough to get out of the car and walk up to the doors. She peeped inside, but didn't see anyone. Buffy blew out a breath and walked in. She was half way through the lobby when a tall, handsome black guy came from behind the counter.  
  
"Hey, can I help you?" he asked.  
  
"I'm looking for Angel. Is he here?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No, but I could be wrong. It's a big hotel! Oh! I'm Gunn."  
  
Buffy chuckled and gave him her hand.  
  
"You look familiar. Do I know you?" Gunn asked.  
  
"I lived in LA once." Buffy replied.  
  
"Maybe. What's your name? I'm better with names."  
  
"Buffy. Buffy Summers."  
  
"Wait! Buffy Summers?"  
  
"Yeah, why? I am a little famous around LA. I burned down Hemery High School's gym a few years ago."  
  
"Are you from Sunnydale?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So YOU'RE Buffy! Angel talks about you all the time. You're the one he fled to a monastery for three months over."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"He sure did. You know, he said that he had betrayed you by living."  
  
"He told me."  
  
"Yeah, he said something like that because he was okay and you were, well, you know, that he felt he was betraying you. That no one had mattered as much as you had, or do, and when he lost you, it didn't kill him."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"I know. Cordy reassured him that he was honoring you by living."  
  
"Oh. Where is Cordy?"  
  
"She's out with Wesley."  
  
Then, a demon walked in a bright sit and introduced himself as Lorne. They started to talk in Wesley's office, but Cordy and Wesley walked in.  
  
"Buffy?" Cordy and Wesley murmured when they saw her. Buffy stood up and looked at them. Cordy rushed over and hugged her. Then Wesley came up and hugged her too. They began to shoot too many questions all at once at her and it wigged her out a little. She tolerated it as long as she could, or at least till THAT FEELING came over her. The feeling she always got when Angel was near. Buffy walked out of the office and saw him walking up the stairs. She followed him up to a door that he walked through and shut. When she walked up to the door and knocked, he called, "Leave me alone right now! I had a weird day, come back later." Buffy knocked again. The door swung open suddenly and Angel was standing there saying, "I thought I said." his words trailed off as he saw who was at his door. She smiled at him weakly and he ushered her into his apartment slash hotel room. Before she could turn around he pulled her into a tight embrace, then, forgetting himself, tilted her head up and kissed her passionately. They had talked a lot since those few days between LA and Sunnydale at that little hotel near the beach. When she broke the kiss he immediately knew something was up and it wasn't him, yet.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
"Matter? As in problems?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"Well, in that sense, not a darn thing. But there is something."  
  
"Come here. Sit down. What's up?" She followed him to a stuffed chair and sat down. He sat in a chair that he brought from the other room, across from her.  
  
"Well, I've never exactly had to say something like this to anyone except Xander and Giles, and all of them. I practiced it though, in the car all the way here. Maybe I can get it right." When he didn't answer, she went on. "Ok, I. was sick the past couple of weeks. I fainted on patrol a few nights ago." He sat up straighter and looked at her. "Spike was with me, don't worry. Anyway, he took me to the hospital. They checked me out and determined that there was nothing wrong with me. But they did have news for me. News that will change my life. and yours."  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Angel, I'm pregnant."  
  
"What?"  
  
"And it's yours."  
  
"Excuse me, I'm hallucinating. Did you just say you're pregnant and it's mine?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's impossible!"  
  
"I know, but it's not cause it's happening."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. The doctor even did a blood test on me and confirmed it. He said that the baby was conceived around October 28."  
  
Angel went silent. It made Buffy very nervous and suddenly uncomfortable.  
  
"Angel, say something!"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"Buffy, we're going to have a baby!"  
  
"I know."  
  
"We're going to be parents! Together!"  
  
"I know."  
  
Angel jumped out of the chair and pressed kisses all over her face and then her stomach. Then he took her downstairs and announced it to everyone. They all were stunned at first. Then a girl, Fred was her name, burst forth and threw her arms around both of them and congratulated them. Then Cordy came up and did the same. Followed by everyone else. Buffy was a little freaked, but she quickly got over it.  
  
Angel hugged her and picked her, spinning her. She smacked him on the back and he put her down. She went to the settee and sat down, trying to get that feeling of nausea out of the way.  
  
"Buffy, are you ok?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Yeah, just give me a sec. I got a little dizzy there." Buffy said.  
  
Angel came over and sat next to her to steady her. "How far along are you?"  
  
"I'm in my seventh week." Buffy sat up a little straighter and leaned into Angel.  
  
"When will we know what it is?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe five months. I still have to find a pregnancy doctor."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"When will that be, do you know?" Lorne asked.  
  
"Soon, I hope. But I have to find out about Giles."  
  
"What about him?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Well, he says he's going back to England for good. He broke the news to me today.right after I told him I was pregnant."  
  
"Oh Buffy." Angel said, pulling her into a hug.  
  
"It's ok. He says that I need to learn to depend on myself now. He said that this huge responsibility has been put on my shoulder and I need to learn on my own."  
  
"That's so selfish! I mean, look at you! You're pregnant, something Giles always said was something a slayer could never experience and to top that all off, it's Angel's! We all know that you two had, like, the forbidden love of all time and all you could do was dream of having at least one kid together and now here you are, pregnant with your dream and able to be happy. Can't Giles at lest stay and be a grandpa or something?" Cordelia said.  
  
Buffy looked up at her and smiled. "He explained that to me. I even used those excuses."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"I have no clue, but it was something along the lines of, blah, blah, blah, grow up, blah, blah, blah, learn to take care of yourself."  
  
"You know, I always knew that Giles was selfish on the inside!"  
  
"He's not. He's doing what he feels is best."  
  
"Well, you're in a fragile condition. You could lose the baby with one kick to your stomach. And all he can think about is going back to see the Queen Mum." Cordy turned to Wesley. "And if you even start to say 'God Bless' I'm going to use some of this stuff Angel's been teaching me."  
  
Angel stood up and took Buffy's hands. "Come on, let's go back upstairs."  
  
Buffy came willingly. She was too tired to argue. The worst part was over with; she had told Angel he was going to be a dad. By the time she reached the doorway to Angel's room, she was dragging her feet. Angel opened the door and swept her up into his arms. He carried Buffy to the bed and laid her down. By the time he came back from shutting the door, Buffy was fast asleep. Angel crawled in next to her and lay down. Buffy turned onto her back and Angel stared at her stomach. After a few seconds, he reached out slowly and put a hand on her stomach. Buffy instinctively put her hand on top of his. He smiled. This was the beginning of a brand new path for him. He had been down the road of fighting the good fight. Now he was on the road to being a father with the woman he loved.  
  
Buffy woke up about two hours later and Angel was asleep next to her. Buffy stroked his jaw with her index finger and his hand shot up and caught hers. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it.  
  
"You know, this is going to bring us back together." Buffy said.  
  
"Of course it will. And I'm going to do it properly." Angel stood up and Buffy sat on the edge of the bed. "Buffy, will you be my girlfriend again?"  
  
"Of course I will." Buffy stood and Angel seized her up into his arms. She laughed as he kissed her forehead.  
  
Angel put Buffy down. "Now, you have to tell me everything! When did you first suspect?"  
  
"I didn't. The doctor did. Spike and I were on patrol in the graveyard and a vamp attacked us. I went up and started punching like I always do and the vamp got in one punch that sent me backwards. Spike came in and started in on the vamp. I was going to go help, but this real big wave of dizziness hit me. Spike dusted the vamp and turned around, saying something. I looked at him, managed to get his name out, then I fainted."  
  
"I wish I could have been there."  
  
"There was nothing you could do. Anyway, when I woke up, a doctor was shining a light in my eye. I tried to leave because I hate hospitals. He put me back on the table, asked me a few questions, told me he had a theory as to what was wrong, took a blood sample, told me that he thought I was pregnant, and sent me on my way saying that the test results would be in sometime that week."  
  
"What kind of questions did he ask?"  
  
"Um, did I get headaches, food cravings? When was my last period? Did my breasts or stomach show signs of swelling? Stuff like that."  
  
"Are you sure it's mine? I mean, not that I'm not happy, I just always thought I couldn't."  
  
"You're not the only one. But, yes. I'm 100 percent positive that it's yours. You were the only one I slept with around the 28th of October."  
  
"Are you sure want this? It's a big responsibility."  
  
"What? How could you even think that? Of course I want this! I want this and I want you Angel! My God!"  
  
"Buffy, calm down. I only meant."  
  
"You know, you and Giles! I swear. All you want is for me to grow up! I am grown up. I am ready for this!" Buffy started to cry.  
  
Angel got up and pulled her into his arms. "Shh, I didn't mean it. Buffy, please stop crying."  
  
Buffy pulled away and wiped her eyes. "What's wrong with me? I never over react that way!"  
  
"Hey, I have an idea. How about we go out? We can go shopping for some books that explain what you're going to be going through over the next nine months."  
  
"Actually, it's the next seven months and one week."  
  
Angel laughed. Buffy took his hand and they headed out the door. Angel told everyone that they would be back later as they walked through the lobby and out the door. When they returned, they had bags full of books and food. They handed out Burger King burgers and fries and drinks then went to the settee. Buffy pulled out one of the baby name books. She and Angel sat side-by-side and flipped through the pages.  
  
"That's a pretty name for a girl." Buffy said.  
  
"Which one?" Angel asked.  
  
"This one. Blaire. Or..or possibly Aurora."  
  
"Aurora?"  
  
"Yeah. I have this thing for Disney and 'Sleeping Beauty' was one of my favorites."  
  
"They're not Irish. Besides, we're having a boy."  
  
"We've already had this argument."  
  
"Who won?" Cordy asked coming up and sitting next to Buffy.  
  
"Actually, we agreed to disagree, but Angel here begs to differ." Buffy said.  
  
"I like Aurora. It's exotic. Not of the norm."  
  
"It's not Irish." Angel said.  
  
"Shut up leprechaun boy." Cordy said.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Well, not everything has to be Irish. American is just fine."  
  
"See: someone who agrees with me." Buffy said.  
  
"I didn't say it wasn't. I just think Irish is better." Angel said.  
  
"Buffy." Wesley called from his office.  
  
Buffy stood and went to the office. "Yeah, Wes?"  
  
"I hate to interrupt, but your sister is on the phone. She would like to speak with you."  
  
"Oh." Buffy took the phone from Wesley. "Yeah?"  
  
"Buffy?" Dawn asked. "Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine. Why?"  
  
"Giles told us the news. I thought that you were heading home when you left so quickly after you told us your news."  
  
"No, I came to tell Angel."  
  
"Is he there?"  
  
"Yeah," Buffy turned and looked at Angel who was standing in the doorway. "He's here."  
  
"Can I talk to him?"  
  
"I guess." Buffy held the phone out. "She wants to talk to you."  
  
"Dawn?" Angel asked.  
  
"Dawn."  
  
Angel took the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Angel! Congratulations!" Dawn said.  
  
"Thank you. Congratulations to you too."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You're going to be an aunt."  
  
"Oh yeah, I am! I forgot, what with the news Giles gave us and everything."  
  
"Yeah, your sister told me about that."  
  
"He's not as smart as I once thought he was."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Because Buffy just gives him this huge news that she's the first slayer ever to become pregnant, by a vampire no less, and then he turns around and says he's leaving for England for good! That's about the meanest thing you can do to a person. Especially to Buffy, who was dragged out of heaven and brought back to Earth and then finds out she's going to have a baby in nine months."  
  
"It is a pretty rotten thing to do."  
  
"Tell me about it!"  
  
"How are you doing in school?"  
  
"I'm good. I mean, I'm struggling a little bit in certain areas, but it's not as bad as before." Dawn paused.  
  
"Before what?"  
  
"Before Buffy died. I was a devil kid after mom died. I skipped classes, I mouthed off to the teachers, I let my grades slide, and I pretty much resented Buffy for not being mom."  
  
"She told me that she thought that you were getting too much to handle. But she also said she didn't want to lose you. That she was afraid that you wanted to leave and go to your dad's."  
  
"For a time there, I did want to go. But I knew that wouldn't solve anything."  
  
"You're a good girl Dawn. I know you made the right decisions."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Welcome."  
  
"Well, can I talk to my sister again?"  
  
"Sure. Goodnight Dawn."  
  
"Night Angel."  
  
Angel handed the phone back to Buffy. "Yeah?"  
  
"Are you staying there tonight?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe, if it's all right with Angel."  
  
"Ok. Willow just wanted to know."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well, I gotta run. Willow's going to try to talk to Tara tonight."  
  
"All right. I love you Dawn."  
  
"I love you too, Buffy."  
  
"Night." Buffy hung up the phone.  
  
"If what's all right with me?" Angel asked.  
  
"If I stay the night here. I mean, it is pretty late and I'm pregnant and all and that has fatigue attached to it and knowing my driving skills, I might end up killed or something."  
  
"Buffy, it's fine by me. It wouldn't be the first night we've spent together."  
  
"It's a party!" Gunn said, as he, Cordelia, Fred, and Lorne entered the room. "You know, Buff, hopefully now that you two are back together and going to be raising a family, Brood Boy here will be a lot happier."  
  
"Yeah, cause I'm sick of seeing him mope all the time! I wanna see more smiles!" Cordelia said.  
  
"Hey! Let's stop ganging up on Angel!" Angel said.  
  
"Well, we would pick on Blondie, but she's the one carrying a little bundle of joy. And she has more strength than you Big Guy." Lorne said.  
  
"You paid them, didn't you?" Angel asked Buffy.  
  
"Nope. Just charmed them with my wily Buffy charm." Buffy said.  
  
"Is this the same charm I fell under?"  
  
"I would say so, yeah."  
  
"Well, listen. I'm going to throw you two a congratulations party at Caritas!" Lorne said. "I've just finished redecorating from that little skirmish we had not to long ago and I need to reopen it with a bang. What better way to open it than the happy news of this wacky couple gettin' back together and making a family?"  
  
"When is it going to be?" Gunn asked.  
  
"I don't know. Soon. Maybe when Buffy gets a little bit of a bulge on her. We need to show everyone!"  
  
"Boy, I just love it when they can't wait to throw a 'Buffy's Got A Bulge' party." Buffy said.  
  
Angel came over and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Don't worry, it'll be a beautiful bulge."  
  
"Geez thanks to all of you. You all make it so easy to know that I'm going to be getting fat soon."  
  
"You're welcome!" They all said.  
  
Buffy yawned and stretched. "I'm tired. Can we go to bed?" she asked Angel.  
  
"Anything you want." He replied.  
  
"Angel, what if we get a client?" Wesley asked.  
  
"You guys can handle it. I put my full faith in you."  
  
"Well, what if it is a case that we really need you on?"  
  
"Then.I don't know. Make it something spur of the moment." With that Angel scooped Buffy up and took her upstairs.  
  
"Spur of the moment indeed." Wesley mumbled as they all went back to what they had been doing. 


	5. Making Plans

Chapter 5  
  
Making Plans  
  
It was late and Buffy was tired. She was ready to head home and make sure Dawn was asleep in her room. There hadn't been much activity and Buffy was overdue for a little time off. As she headed towards the gates of Sunnydale Cemetery something rustled behind her. Vampire. Buffy tensed and reached for her stake. She turned around and there was Angel.  
  
"Hey." He said as she quickly withdrew the stake and put it back in her pocket.  
  
"Angel! You almost fit into a dust buster."  
  
"Nice to see you too."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! Hi. I thought you weren't coming for another week."  
  
"Again nice to see you."  
  
"Nice to see you too."  
  
"I decided to come early. I had some business in town that I needed to get to and I thought tonight would be as good as any."  
  
"Oh, what kind of business?"  
  
"Nothing major."  
  
"As in nothing that concerns Buffy major?"  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"I was just joking. Geez, give the pregnant girl a break here. I've got hormones comin' out the whazoo!"  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"We're fine. I'm about three months now. Too late for an abortion." She saw the hurt look on Angel's face when she had said that and quickly amended. "I didn't mean that Angel. You know I would never. This," she laid her hand protectively over her stomach, "this is ours. We made it together. I would kill everyone on the face of the earth and then count the grains of sand stained with their blood before I would kill OUR baby."  
  
"I know. I feel a little guilty though."  
  
"Why? About what?"  
  
"You have enough to worry about, you don't really need a baby when you have a teenager to watch out for."  
  
"Angel, I don't care about that. I know that you're going to be here to help me along. And so are my friends."  
  
"Have you told them yet? About us I mean."  
  
"No, not yet. The only ones that know are Cordy and the rest of them. I kind of wanted to wait until we could both tell them all together." Angel looked down at his shoes. "Whoa, wait! We are back together, right? I mean you and I were planning on that not even two weeks ago. Was I just hallucinating?"  
  
"No! You weren't, and yes we were. I just. well, this is. um." When he couldn't find the words, he just dropped to one knee and reached into his pocket, pulling out an engagement ring. Buffy's eyes widened as she stared at the huge rock sitting on the dainty golden band.  
  
"Angel." she breathed.  
  
"Buffy, I love you, and that's our child growing inside you. I want to be with you forever, so, will you marry me?"  
  
"Angel, I." she stopped, a huge lump growing in her throat and not allowing her vocal cords to function properly. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she stared at the sparkling brown orbs looking so hopefully up at her, waiting for her to answer. She couldn't speak, or really nod for that matter, so she sprang into his arms and they fell to the ground a kissing, hugging, and crying tangle of limbs.  
  
Once they regained their composure, Angel helped Buffy up. She hugged him as she cried.  
  
"What's wrong?" Angel asked.  
  
"It's just." Buffy choked on a sob. "It's so beautiful!"  
  
"It'll look even better on your finger."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Are you sure you're ok?"  
  
"It's just all these hormones. Dr. Lemmon said that the third month was the one where all my hormones just go completely out of whack. He said that if I felt like crying for absolutely no reason, that it would be best if I just let myself cry."  
  
"How often do you cry like that?"  
  
"Um, four, five times a day? I was a mess at the doctor's office. I could hear the baby's heartbeat through the stethoscope that the doctor let me have because I wouldn't let go of it. He also said that the baby was about three point four inches long and weighs about an ounce."  
  
"Is that normal?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
"What?" Buffy swirled around ready for an attack.  
  
"Did you say heartbeat?"  
  
"Yeah. Why?"  
  
"Is it.human?"  
  
"Of course! What did you think it would be?"  
  
"I don't know. I was prepared for everything else that I didn't even stop and think tat it might be human."  
  
Buffy started to cry again. "You thought our baby was going to be a monster?"  
  
"No! No. I didn't know what. I thought it might end up being a vampire or half vampire or something."  
  
"You thought it was going to be a monster!" Buffy started to storm away, but ran right into Faith.  
  
"Yo B! Watch out." Faith noticed the petite blond crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"  
  
"A.Angel thought our baby was going to be a monster." Buffy sobbed.  
  
"I did no." Angel tried.  
  
"Man Angel face! How could you? She's very sensitive! How the hell could you tell her that?"  
  
"I didn't say monster."  
  
"Then what did you say?"  
  
"He.he said that he thought it was going to be half vampire." Buffy said.  
  
"Well." Angel said.  
  
"B, I gotta say: I see his point."  
  
"See whose point?" Spike asked, walking up.  
  
"Spike! Angel and Faith think that my baby is going to be half vampire!" Buffy said, leaving Faith and grabbing onto Spike.  
  
"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" Spike said to Faith and Angel. "Can't you see that this is a very delicate thing with her? Bloody hell Angel! It's your baby. It's your girl! You should know that that was going to make her cry!"  
  
"I didn't mean it!" Angel said.  
  
"Bloody right you didn't mean it! Of all you people, am I the only bloke who gives a rat's ass about the Slayer here?"  
  
"No!" Faith and Angel said together.  
  
"Spike, look at what Angel gave me." Buffy said, admiring her engagement ring. She was fine now. Her tears were gone and she seemed to be ignoring their conversation. Spike stared in shock at how quickly Buffy's mood had changed. "Buffy? Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine! Why? Don't you like it? It's all big and shiny."  
  
"It's lovely pet." Spike took a closer look at it. "Oh hell! That's a bleedin' engagement ring!"  
  
"Yup." Buffy moved her hand so a glint fell off the ring in the moonlight.  
  
"You proposed?" Spike asked Angel.  
  
"Yes." Angel started to take cautious steps towards Buffy. "Just now."  
  
"Whoa Angel! Congrats to ya both!" Faith said.  
  
"Thank you!" Buffy said. She flounced over to Angel and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
  
Angel just looked at Buffy. Those books they had been reading never mentioned the severe mood swings. They had said that there would be a few moods swings. Angel had thought it would be an every-now-and-then thing, but he was never prepared for the severity of them.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Nothing." Angel said.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ok." Buffy looked at Faith and Spike. "I'll talk to you guys later. Angel and I are going home."  
  
"See ya B!" Faith said, leading Spike away.  
  
Angel turned to Buffy. "Home?"  
  
"Yeah! You're staying the night."  
  
"I am?"  
  
"You don't want to?"  
  
"No! No. I do."  
  
"Ok then. Come on." Buffy took Angel's hand and led him away from the graveyard. They walked all the way home, talking to each other and planning how they wanted to get married. By the time they got to Buffy's house, they had decided that they didn't want a big wedding.  
  
Buffy unlocked the door and crept in with Angel. She shut the door gently and put her keys on the table. All the lights were off, so Buffy assumed that everyone was in bed. Things were finally starting to get back to normal. Giles had left about a week ago and everyone had gotten a little weird, especially around Buffy. They didn't really know how to act around her. She was pregnant, Giles had left, Angel lived in LA most of the time, and she was usually a loony case due to her raging hormones.  
  
Buffy led Angel into the living room and sat down on the couch.  
  
"How are you doing?" Angel asked in a whisper.  
  
"You don't have to whisper. Everyone around here, except me, is a heavy sleeper. And I'm better. Sorry about that little episode earlier. I can't control them. It's the hormones." Buffy said.  
  
"It's ok. It was a little weird, but it's ok. I completely understand."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"I've been reading."  
  
"Oh. I see. Anything specifically interesting I should know about?"  
  
"Hmm, let me thing." Angel looked up at the ceiling as if the answers were written up there. "There was this one thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
Angel looked back at her. "Well, one of the books said that it was ok to.fool around.while you were pregnant."  
  
"Really? Fool around as in.?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know.I think it said have sex, but I'm not positive. Maybe we should wait."  
  
Buffy had scooted closer to Angel through the whole conversation and she was now almost in his lap. "I don't think we should. I mean, even if it isn't ok, I'm sure that we could take it. After all, it is the kid of a slayer and a vampire."  
  
"I don't know." Angel said playfully.  
  
"You may not know, but I sure do." Buffy closed the distance from her lips to his and locked Angel in a passionate kiss. Just as things started to really heat up between the two of them, Dawn came downstairs and found them.  
  
"Oh. My. God. That is so gross! Can't you two find somewhere else for that stuff?" Dawn said.  
  
Buffy and Angel almost flew apart they were so startled.  
  
"Dawnie, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah, I was. I got thirsty."  
  
"Well, we do have a sink with running water upstairs in the bathroom."  
  
"I know. I didn't have glass."  
  
"There's one in the bathroom."  
  
"That's Willow's." Dawn paused at Buffy's look. "I know! I get the hint. Geez! I'll just go get a glass of water then you two can go at it again when I'm gone." Dawn left and headed for the kitchen.  
  
Buffy looked at Angel apologetically. "Maybe we should move upstairs."  
  
Angel resumed kissing her.  
  
"Or not." Buffy mumbled into his lips.  
  
With one last smoldering kiss, Angel swept Buffy up into his arms and took her gracefully upstairs. When their clothes were finally on the floor, Angel laid her gently on the bed. Walking around to the other side, Angel climbed in with her. Buffy rolled over and pressed kisses all over his chest. Just as things started to really happen, there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Buffy?" Willow called.  
  
Buffy groaned. "What?"  
  
Willow opened the door. "I just wanted." She trailed off as Buffy and Angel scrambled to cover up. "Oh, I.I.Oh."  
  
"What did you need?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I have my answer and more."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was just seeing if you were.I.I heard a noise in here and wanted to.uh.see if you were ok. And you're, uh, obviously.o.ok. Hi Angel."  
  
"Hi." He answered.  
  
Buffy picked up a sheet and wrapped it around herself. She stood and went to Willow, leading her out into the hall and shutting the door. "Will, check this out. I want you to be the first to know."  
  
"Know what?" Willow, seemed to be calming down a bit.  
  
"This!" Buffy showed Willow the engagement ring.  
  
"Wow! Buffy.I.it's.wow."  
  
"I know!"  
  
"You two are.?"  
  
"Mmm hmm."  
  
"And you're." Willow pointed to Buffy's small bulge.  
  
"You got it."  
  
"Ahh!" Willow threw her arms around Buffy's neck and squeezed.  
  
Buffy hugged back. "I know!"  
  
"Congratulations!"  
  
"Thank you. Now keep it down. Dawn's trying to sleep."  
  
"Same for you."  
  
"Huh?" Willow pointed at her bedroom door and Buffy got her point. "Oooh! I get ya."  
  
"Night Buffy."  
  
"Night." Buffy walked back into her room and looked at Angel. "Where were we?" 


	6. The Odd Couple

Chapter 6  
  
The Odd Couple  
  
"Angel! Come here! Quick! Hurry!" Buffy yelled from the shower.  
  
Angel came bursting through the door. "What? What is it? Are you ok?"  
  
Buffy pulled the curtain back. "I'm fine, but I just felt the baby move! I wanted you to feel it. Here, give me your hand."  
  
Angel held out his hand and Buffy led it to the small bulge on the lower part of her stomach. She pressed his hand into her stomach. "Wait."  
  
"I'm waiting."  
  
"It's like bubbles. It feels weird."  
  
Angel waited for another couple of minutes. He was about to say something to his wife, but suddenly he felt it. A huge smile grew over Angel's face.  
  
"See. It feels weird!" Buffy said releasing Angel's hand.  
  
"That's our baby? Are you sure it's not just your stomach growling? I mean, you have been having these really weird cravings lately." Angel asked.  
  
"I'm positive. I haven't really felt my stomach growl like THAT before." Buffy pulled the shower curtain closed.  
  
"All right. Well, hurry up. Faith and Spike said they wanted to tell us something over dinner and you know me, I want to be on time."  
  
"We are such opposites when it comes to time Angel."  
  
"I know. I'm always on time and you're always late. Tell me, do you try to be late?"  
  
"No. But if I am, it's always fashionable."  
  
Angel chuckled and walked out.  
  
Buffy finished her shower and got dressed. After spending almost an hour on her hair and makeup, she and Angel finally left the house. Dawn was staying at a friend's house and Willow was at Xander's helping him pick out a tux for his wedding to Anya.  
  
Angel and Buffy arrived at the little Italian restaurant just off Main Street and saw Faith standing outside waiting. The sun was still partially out, so Spike wouldn't get there for a little longer. As a wedding present to Buffy, Angel had pulled out the Gem of Amara for her. Instead of destroying it like he had planned, Doyle had convinced him to save it. Angel parked the car and he and Buffy walked up to Faith.  
  
"Hey B, looking good." Faith said.  
  
"Thanks. But my dress doesn't fit right." Buffy said.  
  
"It looks beautiful on you." Angel told her.  
  
"It's just, this protrusion down here isn't cooperating with my clothes. It's going to drive me insane!"  
  
"Chill B! Angel's right, it looks great on ya. Tight clothes work. Look at me." Faith said. She did a little twirl to show off her tight black spaghetti strapped, backless dress.  
  
"It looks sexy." Angel said just before Buffy whacked him hard on the stomach making him double over. "Ow!"  
  
"I get beautiful, Faith gets sexy? You don't think I'm sexy anymore?" Buffy said, starting to cry.  
  
"God Angel! Could you be any more insensitive to her? Her hormones are still out of whack! Watch your step with her, or I'll make damn sure you fit into an ash tray." Faith warned. "Y'ok B?"  
  
"I'll be fine. I hate hormones. Sorry Angel."  
  
"It's ok. I forgive you. I'll always forgive you." Angel said.  
  
Buffy turned to Faith. "How are you? You sounded kinda urgent on the phone."  
  
"I'm five by five B. As always. Even more so now that."  
  
"Now that what?"  
  
"I'm hungry and it's almost sundown. Let's go in and order while we wait for Spike to get here."  
  
"Ok." Angel said. He held out his arm for Buffy and Buffy slipped her arm through his as he led her into the restaurant.  
  
Faith told the host that her party minus one had just arrived and they were all led to a nice table in a little room separated from the main part of the restaurant by a silk curtain. There was a window overlooking the ocean and a small but fancy chandelier over the table. Angel pulled Buffy's chair out for her to sit, then did the same for Faith. Taking the seat next to Buffy, Angel sat down and took her hand.  
  
"So, what is all this about?" Angel asked.  
  
"Well, I want to wait till Spike gets here, but if he doesn't get here within the next ten minutes, I'll tell you." Faith said.  
  
"I don't know if I can wait that long. I have way too much energy right now. You guys wanna patrol after dinner?" Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy." Angel started, but Buffy cut him off.  
  
"I know what you're going to say, so you can save it. I may be pregnant, but I can still do my part in keeping the world safe from vampires and the forces of darkness. I'm like a mail person: whether rain, snow, sleet, sunshine, or pregnancy, I have to do my job."  
  
"I knew I was never going to be able to stop you from slaying, for now, but I was going to say that you're in a little dress and heels that would probably break the minute you started to fight."  
  
"Oh. Good point."  
  
"You two are so cute together!" Faith said. "Teach Spike and I how to be that way."  
  
"Teach Spike what?" Spike asked, coming up to the table and sitting down. He was dressed nice in a pair of new black jeans, a baby blue button-up shirt over a white tee shirt, and a leather blazer.  
  
"Teach us how to be as cute together as Buffy and Angel are." Faith said as she leaned over and pulled Spike into a kiss that would probably make a prostitute blush.  
  
When they pulled apart after a few minutes, Spike looked over at Angel and Buffy. "Hey there Nancy Boy. How are you tonight?"  
  
"Fine." Angel answered. He and Spike weren't the best of friends.  
  
"Spike, watch the name calling." Buffy said.  
  
"Well, well Slayer. Don't we look nice tonight." Spike said, giving her the slow once over.  
  
"Yeah, well, it's something you'll never see."  
  
"I see plenty right now."  
  
"Watch it Spike." Angel said, grabbing Spike's blazer and hauling Spike's face close to his. "I would defiantly keep my trap shut about Buffy if you like being able to have sex with Faith."  
  
Spike shoved Angel off. "I'd watch my back if I were you. The minute you take one wrong step, I'll be there to watch you turn to dust you bloody poof."  
  
Angel started to get up, but Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, using her slayer strength against his vampire strength. "Angel! Do not cause a scene in here."  
  
"Same goes for you Spike." Faith warned.  
  
"He started it." Spike said.  
  
"Oh that's real mature." Buffy said. "What are we, four?"  
  
"He had his eyes all over you." Angel said to Buffy.  
  
Buffy put her hand to Angel's cheek to calm him down. "I'm used to it."  
  
"Yeah, you're used to something else of mine being all over you." Spike said.  
  
"Ok, that's it!" Buffy shot her fist into Spike's face. "Don't ever talk to me like that."  
  
"Is there a problem?" the host asked, coming up to the table.  
  
"No.no there's no problem." Spike said, glaring at Angel.  
  
"Please, keep it down. We have other costumers that have complained about a disturbance coming from this table."  
  
"Sorry. We'll try to keep it down." Faith said.  
  
The host left and Faith turned to Spike. "Spike, I think you should chill out. I don't know what you're problem is, but it better not interfere with dinner tonight. We have something important to tell them and you are not going to ruin this supposed-to-be happy occasion."  
  
"Sorry luv." Spike said.  
  
"Don't tell me sorry. Tell Buffy and Angel."  
  
"Sorry Slayer." Faith hit Spike on the arm. "Buffy. Sorry Buffy."  
  
"And?"  
  
"I'm not saying sorry to the Big Poof here. He deserves everything he gets."  
  
"Spike."  
  
"It's ok Faith. I don't like him anyway. I don't really want his fake apologies." Angel said.  
  
"Let's just order." Buffy said. She rang the little bell and a waiter entered the room. He took their drink and appetizer orders and left. The two couples sat and talked amongst themselves until the drinks and appetizers came.  
  
Buffy took a sip of her diet coke and looked at Faith. "So, what was your nig news?"  
  
"Oh! Big news. Right." Faith let out a long breath. "Well, Spike and I are getting married. He asked me about a week ago."  
  
"Wow." Angel and Buffy said together.  
  
"I know. He said that it was because of you two that he asked."  
  
"I did no." Spike started, but Faith cut him off by slamming her foot into his leg.  
  
"He said that he saw how happy you two were together and he wanted to feel that way too."  
  
"That's.sweet." Buffy said.  
  
"You don't approve?"  
  
"No! No, we totally approve. Congratulations." Buffy took a big bite of her salad and looked at Angel.  
  
"Yup, congratulations to you both." Angel said. "Excuse me. I have to.use the restroom."  
  
"You're dead." Faith said.  
  
"Doesn't mean I don't have to use the bathroom."  
  
"Yeah, I need to call and check on Dawn anyway." Buffy said. "I think I'll go with Angel."  
  
"All right." Faith said a little uncertainly.  
  
Angel took Buffy's hand and led her towards the restrooms. He turned to her as soon as they reached the water fountain.  
  
"This is too weird!" Buffy said.  
  
"Tell me about it. Faith and Spike? Getting married? I can barely swallow Xander getting married! How am I supposed to deal with this too?" Angel asked.  
  
"Angel. That's not very nice. I'm happy for Anya and Xander."  
  
"I didn't say I wasn't happy. I just meant that it weird to think of Xander actually getting married."  
  
"He said the same thing about us when we told him we were going to Vegas to get married and honeymoon."  
  
"I know."  
  
"So, we should be supportive to him and Faith as well."  
  
"It's just.wow. I mean, for one thing it's Spike."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And it's Faith."  
  
"Yes, and it's their decision. We should be happy for them."  
  
"I know. But why is it so wired feeling?"  
  
"It's Spike and Faith together. It's two people who were once our enemies and now they're our.friends. Or, maybe.maybe it's just that we've never actually thought of those two as the marring type."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Now, I say we go back and try to act not wierded out by all this."  
  
"I agree." Angel said. He kissed Buffy lightly on the lips. "You are ever the voice of reason."  
  
"Not always."  
  
"Didn't say always."  
  
Buffy smiled and smacked him playfully. He caught her wrist and pulled her forward into a deeper kiss. When they pulled away, they headed back to the table. Spike and Faith looked up at them and Buffy and Angel smiled at them. Angel allowed Buffy to get in her chair before he sat down next to her. The appetizer plates were gone and their drinks had been refilled.  
  
"So, Buffy, how's Dawn?" Faith asked.  
  
"Dawn? Oh! She's fine! No trouble whatsoever. She's good." Buffy answered.  
  
"Good. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine. Why?"  
  
"I meant you and the baby."  
  
"Oh! We're fine. Growing steadily."  
  
"Buffy and I have been reading books about pregnancies. We've learned a lot between those and this doctor that Buffy's got for the baby." Angel said.  
  
"Do you know what it is?" Faith asked.  
  
"No, according to the books we should be able to find that out next month. I'm only in my fourth month." Buffy replied.  
  
"What do you want it to be?"  
  
"Truthfully, I don't care. Angel wants a boy, but he would be just as happy with a girl."  
  
"Have you figured out any names?"  
  
"Well, we're not completely sure."  
  
"I want it to be an Irish name." Angel said.  
  
"I want it to be a pretty name that won't embarrass the kid in school."  
  
"Yeah, cause that would be a tragedy." Spike said. "Of course I see where you two are coming from. Look at Buffy's name! Joyce must have been going through a definite 80s kick there. And Angel! That's a bleedin girl's name. Even worse is Liem!"  
  
"Shut up Spike!" Faith said.  
  
"What kind of name is Spike?" Buffy asked. "And don't ever talk about my mom that way! She was the most wonderful woman in the world. Besides, didn't we go through this name thing two years ago?"  
  
"It was a soddin' spell!"  
  
"Still, you made fun of my name! My mother gave me my name and there is not a thing wrong with it!"  
  
"Whatever you say."  
  
"Spike!" Faith said.  
  
"What woman?"  
  
"Get over it!"  
  
The waiter came and gave them food they had ordered earlier when he had come back to give them drinks and appetizers and left in a hurry, obviously feeling the tension in the room.  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I wanna go home. Suddenly I don't feel so good."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, our food just got here."  
  
"We can take it home in a doggy bag."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Stop asking that."  
  
"Aw hell! Don't leave because I'm in a mood. I'm sorry that I offended you by making fun of your names. I'm just real tired and Faith is making this huge deal about being engaged." Spike said.  
  
"Actually, it isn't because of you." Buffy said. "I'm really not feeling well."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ok. I'll call the waiter and get a couple of to go boxes." Angel turned and rang the little bell. The waiter came in. "Can I get two boxes for our food?"  
  
"Certainly." The waiter left.  
  
"Are you gonna be ok Buffy?" Faith asked.  
  
"Yeah, I just need some sleep." Buffy said.  
  
The waiter came back and handed Angel the plastic food containers. Angel filled them with his and Buffy's food. Angel stood and helped Buffy stand. They said goodnight and headed to the car. When they arrived home, Buffy headed upstairs to her and Angel's room and laid down in the bed. Angel put the food in the refrigerator and went upstairs. He found Buffy curled up and crying.  
  
"Buffy? What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"I.I can't believe that Spike was so mean to me tonight. He's never this mean!" Buffy said. "He made fun of mine and your names! There's nothing wrong with them. I may just be hormone girl here, but that actually hurt when he said that about my mom."  
  
"I know it hurt. You love your mother and you always will. I think that you haven't fully gotten over her death."  
  
"You helped."  
  
"Yes, I did my best to help you through."  
  
After a beat, Buffy looked Angel in the eye. "Lay with me?"  
  
"Of course." Angel climbed over Buffy and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled in closer to him and buried her face in his broad chest. After a while, Buffy looked up at him.  
  
"What are you going to wear to Xander's wedding?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, I pretty much have to wear that green thing that Anya picked out. What are you wearing?"  
  
"A tux?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"The one that Xander picked out for me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Are you excited about Xander getting married?"  
  
"I just wish that it could have been sooner."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause next month I'm gonna to be a balloon!"  
  
Angel laughed and pulled Buffy tighter. "You'll be the envy of all balloons out there." 


	7. Hell's Bells

Chapter 7  
  
Hell's Bells  
  
"Buffy, it's hideous. Oh my god, Buffy. Look at its arms!" Willow said.  
  
"I know. But it's my duty." Buffy said as she and Willow stared in horror at the dresses they wore. "I'm ... Buffy the bridesmaid."  
  
"Duty-schmuty. I'm supposed to be best man. Shouldn't I be all ... Marlene Dietrich-y in a dashing tuxedo number?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"That would be totally unfair. We must share equally in the cosmic joke that is bridesmaids-dom." Buffy sat down on her bed and started to put on her earrings.  
  
"Well, maybe ... if I ask Anya, I can still go with the traditional ... blood larva and burlap. I mean, she was a, a vengeance demon for like a thousand years, she would know all the most flattering ... larvae. What was she thinking?"  
  
"I think she's probably too stressed to be thinking right now. What with Xander's relatives and her ... demons."  
  
"Oh my god, last night, that rehearsal dinner. That was like a, a zoo without the table manners. And I bet it got worse after we left."  
  
"I just can't believe everyone bought that story about Anya's people being circus folk. Did you see the guy with the tentacles? What's he supposed to be? Inky the Squid Boy?"  
  
"And Xander's family. I haven't seen them that bad since my bar mitzvah. Ugh, did you see how much they drank?"  
  
"Kinda. Mr. Harris threw up in my purse."  
  
"Oh!" Anya cried from Buffy's doorway. She and Angel stood there and gazed in at Willow and Buffy. Angel looked almost horrified while Anya was overly excited. "Ohh. You guys look so beautiful! And Buffy, you look so cute with your pudgy stomach! This is the happiest day of my whole life!"  
  
Buffy and Willow exchanged looks as Anya hugged them and Angel tried not to laugh. Anya left the room with one last look back at the girls and Angel. Angel walked over to Buffy and kissed her.  
  
"Angel, we look hideous!" Buffy said.  
  
"I'm not saying a word."  
  
"Traitor!"  
  
"Come on girls, we need to get to the lodge." Angel held his arms out for Willow and Buffy. Each girl slipped her arm through one of Angel's and they walked down the stairs. Buffy looked at Angel and he took off his tux jacket and put it around her. Angel pulled out an oversized umbrella from under the table next to the door and stepped out onto the porch. After a few seconds of hesitation, the girls followed him out to the car under the umbrella.  
  
When they arrived, Buffy and Angel went to find Xander. They found him in his dressing room.  
  
"Hey." Buffy said.  
  
"Help!" Xander said handing her his cummerbund.  
  
Buffy took it while Angel held Xander's jacket. She started to put it on him, but ran into some trouble. "Geez Xander! You're about my size now!"  
  
"Is it too small?" Xander panted.  
  
"Nah!" Angel and Buffy said together.  
  
"It fit when I picked up the tux. How could it not fit now?"  
  
"It'll fit." Buffy said as she pulled.  
  
"Aw, man, what if it doesn't? What if I can't wear my cummerbund, and then the whole world can see the place where my pants meet my shirt? Buffy, that CANNOT happen. I must wear das cummerbund!"  
  
"And so... you... shall!" Buffy strained the words out. Finally, with a little help from Angel, they fastened it.  
  
"Hey! You guys got it!" Xander said, turning around.  
  
"Strength and team work." Buffy took a bow tie from the pocket of Xander's jacket and started to put it on him.  
  
"And I've been meaning to cut back on that habit-forming oxygen."  
  
"Look at you. You look great, Mr. About-To-Get-Married. Glowing." Buffy stopped smiling. "Oh my god! Maybe you're pregnant too!"  
  
"Maybe. I dunno. Maybe I'm just happy."  
  
Buffy just looked at him, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Teary." Xander said.  
  
"Oh!" Buffy sniffled. "Good. Good teary."  
  
"Happy teary? Not frustrated with bow-tie teary?"  
  
"Yes. Happy. Happy for you. That makes me happy for me. You and Anya give me hope. It's like ... you two are proof that there's light at the end of this very long, long, nasty tunnel. And, I cannot tie this tie. Where's your best man, isn't she supposed to do this?"  
  
"Well, she said she had something important to do."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
Angel walked up and tied Xander's bow tie. "There. Now here's your jacket."  
  
"Thanks man." Xander said. He looked at the two as Buffy gave Angel his jacket and helped him button it up. "You two."  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I wanna be like you two. You're so happy together. Look at you!"  
  
"You'll be happy too." Angel said. "Anya is a great girl."  
  
"She is, isn't she?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Listen, I just wanna say I'm sorry for all the crap I said to you before."  
  
"When?"  
  
"You know, ever since I met you. I really am sorry. You've made my best friend happier than I've ever seen her. You treat her the way you should be treated. You're family now!" Xander held out his hand to shake Angel's, but at the last second, they hugged.  
  
"Good luck Xander." Angel said.  
  
The two men looked over at Buffy. She was staring at them and crying. "This is the most wonderful day of your life Xander!" she said. Xander went over and hugged her too. Buffy went and sat down in a chair on Angel's lap. Xander went and finished buttoning his jacket.  
  
"Do you know what the baby is yet?" Xander asked.  
  
"It's a boy." Angel and Buffy said together.  
  
"Congratulations! What are you going to name him?"  
  
"Conner Alexander." Buffy said lovingly.  
  
"After me?"  
  
"After his godfather." Angel said.  
  
"His godfather's name is Alexander?"  
  
"Yes silly. We want you to be the godfather." Buffy said.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I would be honored!"  
  
"Good, cause you were going to be whether you said yes or not. We figured it would be a yes."  
  
Xander smiled. "Ok, how do I look?"  
  
"Well, let's see. Found your shoes ... your fly's zipped. I'd say you look like you're ready to get married." Buffy said. Xander nodded nervously at her. She got up and went to him. "You're one of the decent ones, Xander. I hope I'm as lucky as you guys someday." Buffy joked.  
  
"You wanna get lucky? I've still got, what, fifteen, twenty minutes?"  
  
"Hey!" Angel said standing.  
  
"We're kidding sweetie. Don't worry about it. I got lucky six and a half years ago when you walked into that alley." Buffy said lovingly.  
  
"I know. I got lucky before that."  
  
"Awe!" Xander said. Buffy hugged him again.  
  
"Oh! All right. Into the breach with you." Buffy said.  
  
"Ok, breach me!" Xander said. Buffy took Xander's hand and led him out into the hallway, Angel not far behind them. "Now, let's go over the list one more time. Number one?"  
  
"Don't let your dad near the bar."  
  
"Check. Number Two?"  
  
"Don't let your mom near the bar."  
  
"Check."  
  
Dawn rounded a corner behind them. "Hey guys!" They looked at her and kept walking. She fell into step with them. "Spike's here and he brought Faith."  
  
"Guys, I better go meet and greet." Xander said.  
  
"Uh, just go ahead. We'll be a sec." Buffy told Xander as he started to leave.  
  
"Dawn, why don't you go with Xander and check on presents?" Angel asked.  
  
"Ok." Dawn headed off.  
  
"Angel, will you go check on Anya? I'm going out there to help Xander."  
  
"Ok." Angel kissed her briefly. "I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
They headed in separate directions. Just as Buffy got out into the bar area, a demon was ready to pounce on Mr. Harris.  
  
"What'd you call me, you drunken piece of sh." the tentacled demon started.  
  
"Mazel tov!" Buffy called. She swept up and led Mr. Harris away from the fray.  
  
"Hey, what's this?" Mr. Harris asked.  
  
"You must be so happy for Xander on his very special, once-in-a-lifetime day, huh, Mr. Harris?"  
  
"Nice chassis, what's under the hood? Rrowr!"  
  
"You know, I could use a strong cup of coffee. Hey, let's get you one too, what do you say?"  
  
"Did you used to own a little square pinkish purse?"  
  
"I did."  
  
"I thought so. Hey, what do you say we slip in the back room and I show you my."  
  
"You finish that sentence and I guarantee you my HUDBAND will make sure you don't have anything to show." Buffy yanked his arm and led him towards the coffee pot. After she got Mr. Harris to drink a couple of cups, Buffy left to talk to Spike.  
  
"Hello, Buffy." Spike said as she walked up to him.  
  
"Hey." Buffy said.  
  
"It's a happy occasion."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Where's Faith?"  
  
"Around. Did I hurt you that night at the restaurant?"  
  
"Yes, you did, but that was a month ago."  
  
"I'm sorry. Or, good!"  
  
Buffy gave him a little smile.  
  
"You want me to go?"  
  
"No. No, I ... you have every right to be here."  
  
"I'll just go. Give 'em my best or whatever. The happy couple."  
  
"I will."  
  
"It's nice to watch you be happy. I don't see it a lot. You, uh... you glow."  
  
"That's because the dress is radioactive."  
  
Spike snorted.  
  
"Oh, I uh.I found out what the baby is going to be."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, it's a boy. We're going to name him after his godfather."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Conner Alexander Summers."  
  
"Oh. I'm happy for you all."  
  
"Well, I should."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Buffy started to walk past Spike.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Congratulations. I am happy for you."  
  
"Thanks." Buffy said as she walked away. She headed towards Anya's dressing room. Opening the door, she poked her head in. "Are you ready to go?" Before anyone could answer her, Buffy was pulled out into the hallway.  
  
"He's gone. Xander disappeared!" Willow said.  
  
"What? Xander's gone? Wha.what should we do?" Buffy asked anxiously.  
  
"I'm gonna go look for him ... I'm gonna find him. A.and you're going to stall." With that, Willow rushed off.  
  
Buffy took a deep breath and turned to the door. Angel stood there staring at her. Buffy reached around him and pulled the door shut.  
  
"What's going on?" Angel asked.  
  
"Xander's gone and you're going to help me stall." Buffy said.  
  
"What do you mean Xander's gone?"  
  
"As in he's not here. Willow just told me." Buffy walked past Angel and opened the door. "Uh, heh, sorry about that. Um..." Buffy closed the door once Angel had walked in. "There's just gonna be a little bit of a delay."  
  
"Why? What's wrong?" Anya asked.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing's wrong, it's just.um.it.the.the.minister. He had, uh .to go .and perform an emergency C-section."  
  
Angel looked at her dubiously.  
  
"A C-section?" Anya asked.  
  
"Yeah! You know, he's.uh.not.not just a minister.he's also a.a doctor. You know, he's half-minister, half-doctor. He's a.a mini-tor. Not, of course, to be confused with a Minotaur! Because he's all.you know.man.this doctor minister man.no.no bull parts whatsoever."  
  
"Uh huh." Anya turned back to the mirror.  
  
"So it.it should just be a couple of minutes."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Buffy fidgeted a little then grabbed Angel's arm and hauled him out the door with her.  
  
"Where are we going?" Angel asked.  
  
"To stall." Buffy led him to the main room where the preacher waited by the Alter. Buffy and Angel walked up the aisle and the orchestra started to play the wedding march. Everyone turned to look at them. Buffy turned to them, flustered, and waved at them to stop. "No! No, it isn't ." She looked at the guests nervously. "It's not what you think." Angel grabbed Buffy and pulled her towards the Alter. He covered the microphone so the guests wouldn't hear what Buffy was about to tell the preacher.  
  
"Um.there' going to be a delay." Buffy said.  
  
"What kind of delay?" the preacher asked.  
  
"Well, the groom is sort of.missing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're.we're going to find him. So uh.uh.don't go anywhere." Buffy turned back around and she and Angel gave the crowd huge, fake smiles. They started to walk back down the aisle and the orchestra started to play the recession music. As they walked, Buffy glared at them and they stopped mid- note.  
  
Buffy and Angel stood at the back of the room and watched a few of the guests bicker at each other. After a while, Xander's cousin Carol came up to her.  
  
"Buffy, you've gotta do something!" Carol said.  
  
"Ok.um.just take your seat and I'll.we'll figure something out." Buffy said.  
  
Carol nodded and went back to her seat. Buffy looked at Angel who just shrugged.  
  
"Oh fine! You're no help." Buffy said. She headed up towards the Alter and stood in front of the microphone. She looked at Angel who just looked back. Buffy took the mike from the stand. "So ... who here's from out of town?"  
  
They all just stared at her.  
  
"Uh. Hey everyone! I want you all to meet my husband Angel. We've been married for about a week and a half now." Buffy waved at Angel for him to come up on stage. He shook his head, panicking a little. Buffy waved harder at him. He sighed and walked up to the microphone. A few of the guests applauded him. "Hee hee. Um, does anyone have any.um.questions for us?"  
  
A demon raised his hand. "Aren't you Angelus?"  
  
"What? Uh, yeah. I mean, I.I used to be." Angel stammered.  
  
Carol stood up. "Buffy, dear, you haven't told us about your baby yet."  
  
"Yes Buffy." Mrs. Harris stood up too. She was trying to relieve some of the tension in the room. "Do you know what you're having?"  
  
"Yeah." Buffy smiled a genuine smile; happy to be on a subject she was comfortable with. "We were at the doctor's office two days ago. We're having a.a baby boy. He weighs a pound right now. The doctor also said that he is twelve point three inches long." Buffy said. She put her hands over the medium sized bulge on her stomach.  
  
"Awe!" Carol and Mrs. Harris said. "Congratulations!"  
  
"Actually, we asked your son, Mrs. Harris, to be the baby's godfather. We, uh, we named him after Xander actually. Conner Alexander."  
  
"Did he accept?" Mr. Harris asked.  
  
"Yes, yes he accepted. Any more questions?" No one answered. Buffy shook her hands. "Um! I have and idea." She put the mike back in the stand. She held up one finger. Angel looked at her strangely and she looked back with a little shy grin and a small shrug of her shoulder.  
  
"First word..." A few of the guests said, catching on to what she was doing.  
  
Buffy took her index finger from each hand and put one on each side of her head. She moved around as if they were horns.  
  
"Antlers?"  
  
"Animals?"  
  
"Bull!"  
  
Buffy smiled and pointed at the guest that said bull.  
  
"What do you mean Xander's missing?!" Anya said loudly from the back of the room.  
  
All the guests turned around to stare at her. Buffy looked at Angel dismayed. His eyes widened.  
  
"It's a joke. Xander's playing a joke. It's like one time, at one of Carol's weddings, I had this ape suit." Uncle Rory said.  
  
"Oh great!" the tentacled demon said.  
  
".And I put it on."  
  
"Another Harris family joke."  
  
The Harris' looked offended.  
  
"Why don't you have another drink?" Tentacles said to Mr. Harris.  
  
"Drinking ... is the only way I can dull the pain ... of looking at your ugly face." Mr. Harris slurred as he stood up.  
  
Tentacles stood too. "You better think real hard about this, Harris." He smacked Mr. Harris in the chest with his squid-like hands.  
  
"Don't touch me with those nasty circus things!"  
  
Tentacles did it again. Mr. Harris took a swing at him, but missed. "That's it!" Tentacles threw a punch at Mr. Harris and they were on the floor punching and kicking each other. Buffy looked at Angel and rolled her eyes. Suddenly everyone was out of his, her, or its chairs. They were in a full out brawl. Buffy and Angel stood there and watched them in bewilderment.  
  
"Xander? Have you seen Xander? Has anyone seen Xander?" Anya called into the brawl.  
  
Carol pointed to an elderly man in a corner of the room. "Well, I saw him go in the Trophy Room with that guy!"  
  
Anya went to talk to the man.  
  
Buffy and Angel looked at each other hopelessly. Buffy went to the mike and called, "Guys! Will you break it up?"  
  
No one listened. The brawl continued. Angel tried to pull a couple of the guests apart, but one punched him in the jaw. Angel came back up to the stage and looked at Buffy holding his jaw.  
  
"That guy just hit me!" Angel said.  
  
Buffy wasn't listening. Her attention was on Anya and a huge demon that was beating her. "Anya!"  
  
Buffy and Angel took off through the crowd and headed towards Anya. The demon swiped at her again. Anya fell to the floor with a shriek. The demon was just about to club her again, but Buffy ran up with a folding chair she had picked up on the way and slammed the demon in the face. He reeled back in pain. Buffy went to kick him, but her dress wouldn't allow it. With an exasperated sigh, Buffy reached down and ripped a slit in her skirt. When she looked back up, the demon had Anya in a threatening position.  
  
"Come any closer and I'll kill her." The demon said.  
  
Buffy and Angel could only stare in dismay.  
  
"Anya!" Xander burst into the room.  
  
"Xander!" Anya called.  
  
The demon turned to look at Xander and Buffy took the chance to get in there and kick the demon in the leg. He yelped and let Anya go. Angel came in and punched him a few times. Buffy came up and grabbed him, throwing him against the wall. The demon punched her and she went back. Anya ran to Xander. Buffy and Angel continued to fight the demon. Angel grabbed it and slammed its face into the floor. Buffy ran over and cut between Xander and Anya.  
  
"Excuse me." Buffy grabbed a veil off the wall and went back to Angel who was trying to hold the demon down.  
  
The demon threw Angel, who was now in full vamp face, against the wall. Buffy wrapped the veil around the demon's neck and started to strangle him. Suddenly a white pedestal came soaring down onto the demon's head. The demon groaned and went unconscious. Angel stood and went over to Buffy and Xander. Xander slammed the pillar onto the demon's head. There was a splat.  
  
"It's dead." Xander said.  
  
"Yup." Buffy and Angel said.  
  
Willow and Tara came running up as the crowd burst into applause. They all stared at the demon for a little while longer.  
  
"Is anyone else waiting for it to go poof?" Willow asked. They all continued staring at the corpse. "Maybe we can cover it with flowers."  
  
  
  
"Should we do something for her?" Dawn asked. She, Willow, Buffy, and Angel were all curled up in the Summers' living room that night. Dawn held a mug of hot tea as she sat in the overstuffed armchair. "Anything?"  
  
"She wants to be alone. That's what she wants." Willow said. Willow sat on the couch next to Buffy. "Oh, god, it just hurts my heart to think of her."  
  
Buffy sat curled up in Angel's arms between his legs. "I know. The whole thing hurts my heart." Angel tightened his grip on Buffy.  
  
"I thought they were happy." Dawn said.  
  
"They were. I know they were. They were supposed to be my light at the end of the hormone tunnel. I guess they were a train."  
  
"Why did this happen?"  
  
"I don't know. I feel like I should be hating Xander. But I can't. I just ... I just hope he's okay." Willow said.  
  
"I wonder where he is." Angel said.  
  
"Wherever he is, I just hope he's ok with his decision." Buffy said.  
  
"It's a hard decision to make. I should know. I once had to make it."  
  
"Yeah. But you didn't leave me at the Alter. I think it would have hurt worse if you had. I can't imagine what she's going through right now."  
  
They all sighed. 


	8. Birthday

Chapter 8  
  
Birthday  
  
"Are you sure you want to go now?" Angel asked.  
  
"Yes. Now is as good a time as any. I'm going to be getting even bigger and I want to get this in before I'm to fat." Buffy answered.  
  
"All right. It's going to take a while to get there."  
  
"I know. I've made it before."  
  
"Well, let's go."  
  
"Get in." Buffy said, waiting for Angel.  
  
Angel gave a little sigh and opened the car door. He climbed behind the wheel and started the engine up.  
  
"Besides, it's Cordy's birthday and I want to be there for her." Buffy continued. "I didn't buy this present to sit around and collect dust."  
  
"I know. It's just, you were a little sick this morning when you woke up and I want to make sure you're going to be ok."  
  
"Angel, it was just a little morning sickness. I'm fine now. Really."  
  
"Are you perfectly sure?"  
  
"We're already one the road. If I wasn't, it's too late now, but I'm sure. Cordy's your friend also and I think that you should be there for her birthday. It's not everyday you turn 21. I should know."  
  
"It's a little more special for you though."  
  
"Because I'm the slayer and I wasn't really supposed to have a 21st birthday. How many pregnant corpses do you know that have birthday parties where people are getting stabbed by demons that hide in walls and you can't even leave the house?"  
  
"None. See, you are special."  
  
"And Cordy isn't?"  
  
"I didn't say that! I just meant that.never mind. I don't want to set off your hormones again."  
  
"Good, cause I really didn't want you to either. Let's just get there."  
  
Angel drove them the two hours to LA and then the extra 40 minutes just to beat traffic and get to the hotel. When they arrived, Buffy waited for Angel to help her out. She left the present in the car so Cordy wouldn't know they were throwing a surprise party. Buffy opened the door to find Cordelia's back to her and Fred sitting on the settee watching her.  
  
"I'd - just like to say thank you. You believed in me when no one else would. Even in my darkest hours you were there for me and that means more to me that you'll ever know. I guess what I'm really trying to say is.I love you. To all my fans:" Cordy held up a scrub brush in plastic gloved hand, "this is for you!"  
  
"Wow! That was just.wow. Cause...oh, and with the tears! I.I got chill bumps all up my arms!" Fred said, clapping.  
  
"Yup. That's the famous speech. Not that I'll ever use it of course.unless they start handing out awards for best slime and grime. Oh, I swear. Next time Gunn decides to blow something up, he's cleaning his own scorch marks."  
  
"Well, Cor, maybe you should tell him." Buffy said.  
  
Cordy turned around, startled. "Buffy!"  
  
"Hey."  
  
Gunn walked in wearing a facemask and a hairnet carrying a spray bottle. "Ladies. Less yammering, more scrub." Then he noticed Buffy and Angel. "Hey Buff! What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much."  
  
"Doesn't anyone want to say hey to Angel?" Angel asked.  
  
"Hey Angel." Cordy, Gunn, and Fred said together.  
  
"My Gunn, don't you look sterile." Buffy said.  
  
"Couple more hours of sniffing that industrial cleanser, I think I might be. Hey, I don't suppose you two wanna help out?" Gunn said.  
  
"I would but, you know." Buffy pointed to her stomach.  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Helping the wife." Angel said.  
  
"Ok."  
  
"You're screwed." Fred told Gunn.  
  
Cordy started to come up to hug Buffy, but Angel intercepted. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.dirty people. Not touching the pregnant wife."  
  
"But pig-drinking bloodsuckers are okay? I meant that in a nice way. Okay, I'm gonna go wash my hands, but when I get back I get first dibs on Buffy hugging." Cordy said.  
  
"Glad to know that I'm so popular." Buffy said.  
  
Once Cordy was out of hearing range, Angel asked Fred quietly, "Does she know?"  
  
Before she could answer, Wesley burst through the doors opposite Angel and Buffy. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's in the bathroom." Gunn said. "Got the stuff."  
  
"Yes. Hello Buffy. Hello Angel. It's nice to see you."  
  
"You too."  
  
Wes pulled out a huge cake with Wonder Woman on it. Gunn came over and helped hold the cake while Fred lit candles. Cordy came out of the bathroom and almost walked right into them. Everyone started to sing happy birthday to her.  
  
"Oh you guys. I can't believe you did this!" Cordy said.  
  
"Don't just stand there. Blow out the candles, girl." Gunn said.  
  
She bent over and blew out the candles.  
  
"Did you make a wish?" Fred asked.  
  
"I sure did. Ah, Jude Law was a little busy, huh?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Oh, how disappointing for you. Well, I guess you won't be wanting the presents we." Wesley started.  
  
"Oh, wanting. Wanting presents."  
  
"Angel, sweetie, could you go out and get that present?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Be right back." Angel jogged back outside to the car.  
  
"Can I finally hug you Buffy?" Cordy asked.  
  
"If you can make it to my neck, I guess." Buffy laughed.  
  
Cordy came over and hugged Buffy. "You are absolutely glowing! What'd ya get me?" Angel came back in carrying a small, wrapped box. He handed it to Cordelia and stepped back beside Buffy.  
  
Cordy opened the box and pulled out a beautiful white gold locket in a glass necklace holder in the shape of a cat. She opened it up and there was a picture of her, Buffy, Angel, Willow, Xander, and Dawn in it. "Buffy.it's so."  
  
"It was my mom's. I remember that you complimented her on it a while ago and I came across it about a week ago when I was cleaning out a closet. I thought you should have it to remember who your true friends are." Buffy said.  
  
"God Buffy, you really didn't have to. It was your mom's." Cordy said, tearing up.  
  
"And I thought that she would want you to have it."  
  
"Thank you." Cordy hugged Buffy and then Angel. "You guys are the best."  
  
"You have to forgive the wrapping. Some of us seem to have fostered a strange addiction to Scotch tape." Wesley said as he, Gunn, and Fred carried in a big wrapped box with a huge bow on it.  
  
"Oh guys!" Cordy looked up from the locket, all smiles gone. "Take the cat!"  
  
"What?" Angel asked.  
  
"Take the cat! Take the cat!"  
  
Buffy took the glass cat from Cordy just as a vision hit her.  
  
"There's a teenager, a girl, she.she." Cordy started, but was suddenly blown back into the glass doors of the weapon's cabinet. She slumped to the floor, not moving.  
  
"Cordelia!" Buffy called.  
  
They all came to stand around Cordy.  
  
"Is she all right?" Fred asked.  
  
"I'm fine you guys. I'll be okay. I'm just." Cordy turned to see everyone surrounding her body. ".dead." Cordy said.  
  
"Oh no!" Fred said.  
  
"Come on Cordy, wake up. It's all over. Come back to us." Angel said.  
  
"I haven't gone anywhere. Angel." Cordy said, her voice a little echoy.  
  
"Please wake up."  
  
"Angel is she." Wes started.  
  
"NO!" Angel said at the same time Cordy yelled it.  
  
"I'm not?" Cordy asked.  
  
"She's still breathing. Her heart's still beating." Angel said.  
  
"Yes! But. If I'm not dead then."  
  
"She's just in some sort of trance or a coma."  
  
"Like hell I am."  
  
"Angel, let's get her over to the couch." Buffy said.  
  
Gunn and Angel lifted Cordy's body and gently placed her on the couch across the room.  
  
"Easy." Buffy said.  
  
"All right." Gunn said.  
  
"Ookay. I get it. This is some kind of bizarre birthday present you guys cooked up." Cordy said. "Alright. The joke's on me. Now put me back in my body!"  
  
"It was a vision, wasn't it? I mean, she just started saying something about a girl." Buffy said.  
  
"That's right. She's in a house on Oak Street the middle of Reseda. It feels like we have some time here, but.but you can't hear me at all, can you?"  
  
"What's all the hubbub, bub?" Lorne asked, coming down the stairs. "Hey Blondie."  
  
"Hey Lorne." Buffy said.  
  
"Lorne! Thank god! You can hear me, right? Cause if there's some weird, other-worldly thing going on you'd still be able to." Cordy started as Lorne walked right through her. "Oh. That's not good." Suddenly, a black shadow passed overhead. "Did anybody else just see that?"  
  
"Jumping Judas on a unicycle. What happened?"  
  
"All we know is she had a vision." Buffy said.  
  
"There is a lot we don't know. I think she dropped this." Fred said. She had walked over to wear Cordy had fallen and picked up a medication bottle.  
  
"No Fred! Put that away. That's not important." Cordy said.  
  
Fred handed Angel the bottle. "Seltrex."  
  
"Oh God." Wes said.  
  
"What's Seltrex?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Nothing! It's just." Cordy tried.  
  
"Seltrex is a highly powerful migraine medication." Wes said.  
  
"Maybe we should get her to a hospital." Gunn suggested.  
  
"So they can do what? Do what they did last time, strap her to a bed and tell us there's no hope?" Angel asked.  
  
"Angel." Buffy said, putting her hand on his arm. He took it in his and squeezed it.  
  
"Angel is right. Seltrex is potent but. it doesn't cause the catatonia" Wes said.  
  
"I'm picking up some hardcore woo-woo vibes in the room. This ain't medical, kids. It's mystical." Lorne said.  
  
"That's what I'm saying. There is so much we don't know. If Cordelia is taking a drug this powerful in secret, the visions are probably doing a lot more damage than she lets on." Fred said.  
  
"This last one must have overloaded her." Gunn said.  
  
"Don't say last! Okay? She'll come out of this. She has to." Angel said.  
  
Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel's waist and hugged him. He at first resisted, but Buffy wouldn't let go and Angel gave in and allowed her to comfort him.  
  
"She will!" Cordy said.  
  
"Okay. Look, if this is a mystical problem there has to be some kind of mystical solution." Buffy suggested.  
  
"There you go! Great idea! Go Buffy." Cordy said.  
  
"Gunn, you and Fred go to Cordy's place." Angel said.  
  
"No! Bad idea. Listen to Buffy."  
  
"See if she's been hiding anything. Anything that could tell us what's wrong with her. Wes?" Angel said as he picked Cordy up.  
  
"I'll hit the books." Wes said.  
  
"Buffy, come with me."  
  
"Right." Buffy said as they all headed their own ways. Angel led her up to his old room and laid Cordy on the bed. Buffy brought in a blanket and covered Cordelia's still form. She turned to Angel who was sitting in a chair and staring at Cordy. Buffy walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll go make us some tea."  
  
"Buffy?" Angel asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I just thought I should tell you."  
  
"I know." Buffy walked out of the room and headed downstairs. She found Wes in his office, flipping through books. "I remember that look."  
  
Wesley looked up. "Hmm?"  
  
"You. I remember walking into the library and seeing you and Giles and the rest of the gang hunched over the books."  
  
"Yes. Getting nostalgic?"  
  
"A little." Buffy poured some freshly made tea into two mugs. "You?"  
  
"Sometimes. How is Angel?"  
  
"He's worried about Cordy and me. He's putting way too much stress on himself. Which in turn, makes me worried about him."  
  
"Would you like me to talk to him?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, no. You don't need to. Maybe by the time that Conner gets here, he'll be a little more relaxed."  
  
"Let's hope."  
  
"See ya Wes."  
  
"See you later Buffy."  
  
Buffy headed back up to Angel's room. She opened the door and found Angel talking to Cordy.  
  
"Cordy, look. I know that you can't hear me, but. there is something I have to say. You really piss me off, you know that? I thought we trusted each other. But you've been lying. MRI's and CAT scans? It's been going on for over a year. Why couldn't you let me in? I could have helped you. You make me so furious."  
  
"Angel?" Buffy said gently.  
  
"She just.it really pisses me off that she could do this to me."  
  
"I know." Buffy walked over and handed Angel one of the mugs. "MRI's and CAT scans?"  
  
"Gunn called and said that he found a whole bunch of pill bottles and CAT scan sheets."  
  
"Oh God. Cordy."  
  
"Knock, knock. How is she?" Lorne asked, coming into the room.  
  
"The same. You ready?" Angel asked.  
  
"As I'll ever be."  
  
"Ready for what?" Cordy and Buffy asked at the same time, only no one could hear Cordy.  
  
"Lorne is going to see if he can find Cordelia and bring her out of this. Or maybe even contact the powers." Angel said.  
  
"Although I'm sort of wishing I brought my helmet. Last time I tried this I got blown across the room." Lorne said, sitting next to Cordy.  
  
Buffy and Angel watched as Lorne put his fingertips to Cordelia's temples and close his eyes. He started to make circles with his fingers.  
  
"Cordelia? Are you there?" Lorne asked. "Cordelia?" Lorne took his hands away.  
  
"What?" Angel asked.  
  
"Cordelia's not in there. She's just gone."  
  
Angel sat down and put his head in his hands. Buffy leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder blade. After a minute, he lifted his head. "No. This isn't gonna happen. I don't care how many favors you have to call in. I don't care how many gods you have to cross. You have a connection to the Powers That Be and you're gonna find me a way to talk to them. Understand?"  
  
"A.Angel honey, it.it's not that easy. I mean, contacting the Powers is a muddy, not to mention dangerous, area. But this is a. this is a bit much to ask."  
  
"I'm not asking."  
  
Lorne sighed and walked out of the room while Angel sat back down, putting his head in his hands again.  
  
Buffy kneeled in front of Angel. "Angel." He didn't respond. "Angel, look at me." He looked up. "I love Cordy too. I'm going to help you do everything to help her. We're a team. We're a family. Families stick together. Lorne is part of that family as is everyone else that we love. If you want their help, you're going to have to calm down and think rationally. We all know that the Powers are tough cookies when it comes to communication, so you can't just go around yelling at people because the Powers are pretty much ignoring us."  
  
Angel stared at her a little while longer. To Buffy's surprise, Angel gently grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss.  
  
"Oh great! You two are going to go at it while I'm sitting here locked out of my own body!" Cordy said, knowing they couldn't hear her.  
  
Angel leaned back in the chair and Buffy sat on the floor. She laid her head in his lap and soon they were both asleep. Cordy had dosed off too. When she woke up, she turned to look at Buffy and Angel. Angel was asleep; arms crossed, leaning in the chair and snoring, while Buffy's head was in her arms on the bed.  
  
"Finally!" Cordy said. "Okay, Wes, let's hope your books know what they're talking about." She walked over to Angel and sat down in the same position he was in. She was in Angel's body. She snapped the head up and stood Angel up. She walked him over to the dresser and picked up a marker. Lifting Angel's hand, Cordy wrote 171 Oak on the wall. Suddenly there was a shadow that flowed across the wall and knocked Cordy out of Angel's body.  
  
Angel slammed onto the floor and woke up. Buffy sat up straight with a little shriek just as Wesley walked in.  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked.  
  
"What are you doing on the floor?" Wes asked.  
  
"I don't know. I had this dream that, uh.Cordy was here. She was.ah, trying to tell me something. Something really important." Angel said. He scratched his head. "It's weird."  
  
"HOW are YOU a champion? In what WAY are YOU a champion?" Cordy said.  
  
"Fred studied Cordy's latest CAT scans. The news isn't good. The tests show widespread neuro-electrical deterioration."  
  
"That's just a fancy way of saying."  
  
"She's dying." Angel said.  
  
"I think I like the fancy way better."  
  
"I'm still working on, ah, the mystical aspect: trance states, astral projection, spiritual possession. But so far I haven't been able to. Why don't you two take a break? I.I'll watch her." Wes asked.  
  
"I don't know." Angel said.  
  
"Come on Angel. The pregnant woman need some air and I need to stretch." Buffy said.  
  
"Ok." Angel and Buffy left Wesley behind and went to talk to Fred. She was showing them CAT scans of Cordelia to them.  
  
"That's from eight months ago. The red spots are what they call hot areas or what you'd expect from a healthy, functioning brain. This one is dated one month ago." Fred said.  
  
"Cordy's doctors couldn't explain it." Gunn told them.  
  
"See. green is a cold color, usually signifying dead areas of the cerebrum. Normally you wouldn't see a scan like that."  
  
"Unless the person was a cucumber."  
  
"How could we not know?" Angel said.  
  
"Oh, for the love of god, somebody get me a sea-breeze." Lorne said, walking in. His clothes were torn and one of his horns was hanging by a shred of his skin.  
  
"Lorne! What happened?" Buffy said.  
  
"I can't really talk about it."  
  
"Then how the hell are we supposed to find them so we can kick their asses?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Ah, no. I mean I can't talk about it. They cast a spell. I went down to the lommahieahtoah. See?"  
  
"Did you get any information?" Angel asked.  
  
"Oh, why yes, Angel. My horn should grow back in a couple of days. So kind of you to be concerned. Well, they didn't say I couldn't write it." Lorne handed Angel a piece of paper. "Angel, all kidding aside, this isn't something to be taken lightly. Only a champion can deal with the conduit. And even then you have to la-argh arr..."  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Angel said as he head towards the door.  
  
Buffy went after him, putting on her coat.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Angel asked her when he realized that she was next to him.  
  
"I'm going with you." Buffy replied sternly.  
  
"No, you're not."  
  
"Yes I am. Angel, I'm not going to sit around and be useless because I have a kid in my stomach. Cordy's my friend too and I'm going to help her."  
  
"Buffy, if anything happened to you and the baby.I don't know if I could live with it."  
  
"Then it won't."  
  
"Buffy." Angel was cut off by a powerful fist to his jaw. He looked back at Buffy who had her hands on her hips and was staring sternly at him. "Ow."  
  
"Exactly. Now come on. We have work to do."  
  
  
  
"But you see, there is a slight problem: you don't belong here anymore" Skip said. He was a demon that had materialized out of the shadows that had been chasing her.  
  
"Because I'm dead?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Not yet. But you will be very soon unless you come with me."  
  
"Well, I'll follow you on. on one condition. You have to tell my friends about this vision that I had."  
  
"Sorry. No can do. I'm not a messenger. I'm just a guide." Skip held his hand out to her.  
  
"I don't want to die."  
  
"So don't."  
  
Cordy reluctantly put her hand in skips and a flash of blue covered them. 


	9. Birthday (part 2)

Chapter 9  
  
Birthday (part 2)  
  
Angel and Buffy flinched when they heard a scream and then the floor was gone and they were plummeting down onto a dirt packed floor in a room that looked more like a cave. There was a big cube of stone in the middle of the room with a fire going on top.  
  
"Thanks Lorne." Angel said. He went to Buffy to help her stand up.  
  
"They have come. The champions have come. Come for what? Answers not to be had. Death is certain. Death awaits." A chorus of voices from everywhere, but from nowhere at the same time said.  
  
"I wanna talk to the conduit." Angel called.  
  
"We are the conduit. We are the gateway, the all, the time, the ever. They wish to speak to us."  
  
"Yes, we do. Are you gonna show yourselves?"  
  
"We are unseen. Formless. It speaks unknowing. Send it away."  
  
"We're not going anywhere until we get our message to the Powers That Be. Our friend Cordelia has visions given to her by the Powers. They're killing her. We want the Powers to take them back. Let her go. She's suffered enough!" Buffy said, the anger obviously rising in her as it was Angel. "And Angel is a he, not a it." Suddenly Buffy was thrown back into the wall.  
  
"Buffy!" Angel cried as he went to her. She was just standing to her feet when he reached her.  
  
"Suffering? Do you know suffering?" the voices said. All of a sudden, Buffy and Angel were thrown apart into opposite walls. "Yes they do. The Powers owe nothing. Send it away. Send her away."  
  
Buffy and Angel picked themselves back up. "We're not finished." Angel said, heading back towards Buffy.  
  
"Their pleas are pointless. Her path is chosen. We will not interfere."  
  
"The visions are too much. She's not strong enough to handle them."  
  
"Obstinate. It speaks and does not listen."  
  
"No, you're not listening! Cordelia is not a champion. She is a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this! Don't the Powers get that? Stop whispering and listen to me, damn it! She's weak."  
  
Buffy put a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Angel." Buffy looked around and called, "You're killing her. She's unconscious, and she's alone. Who knows if she's in pain?"  
  
"They are angry. They are afraid."  
  
"I'm more afraid of her dying than she is. What is that?" Angel said.  
  
  
  
"Skip, get me out of here now." Cordy said. Skip was showing her what Angel was saying to a bunch of echoy voices. She had walked in just in time to hear Angel tell them she was 'a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero. She doesn't have what it takes to do this!'  
  
Skip nodded his head and they were back in the mall. "Cordelia, are you sure?"  
  
"You gave me a choice, so I'm choosing."  
  
"Okay, kid. Here goes. I'm gonna make you a star."  
  
  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I'm here." Angel said coming from behind a pile of garbage. "Are you ok?"  
  
"I fine. What about you?"  
  
"Been better."  
  
"Let's get out of here. Get back to the hotel and figure another way to save Cordy since the Powers are definitely not going to be helping us."  
  
"All right."  
  
They started to walk and Angel noticed Buffy was limping. He went to her and slipped his arm around her waist to steady her. She looked at him gratefully and slipped her arm around his waist.  
  
  
  
"Great show Cordy!" a man exclaimed behind her.  
  
"Thanks! You too." She called back. Cordelia was in an all black outfit and her short hair was curled fashionably.  
  
"Okay. There are stars and there are stars, and then there is you!" her assistant Nev, told her.  
  
"God, that is sweet, Nev. Am I paying you enough?"  
  
"Well, as a matter of a fact."  
  
"Good. What's cooking?"  
  
"Okay. You've got a costume fitting. The Producers want to run some ideas past you for next weeks show."  
  
Cordy walked up to a group of fans and started to sign autographs. "Hi, how are you? What's your name?"  
  
"We want to record that breast cancer PSA, but tomorrow is pretty booked. Maybe next week." Nev continued.  
  
"No, make it tomorrow. I wanna get it on the air." Cordy turned to Nev with a sigh. "Nev, you ever get that nagging feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere, doing something, but you can't remember what?"  
  
"No. I'm highly organized. That's why you pay me pretty well. But with the holidays coming I really."  
  
Cordy handed the pen and pad back to the fan. "I have to go, I'm sorry. I have to go." She started to walk, Nev following her. "I want something. Hypo-something. Hypothermia?"  
  
"Josh, lets get a large tub of ice water to Miss Chase's dressing room, pronto." Nev said into a cell phone.  
  
"No, that's not it."  
  
"Canceling ice water."  
  
"Hyper... hyper baric?"  
  
"Josh, make it an oxygen tent."  
  
"No, that's not it either."  
  
"Canceling tent."  
  
"Hyperion! That's it!" Cordy said, spinning to face Nev.  
  
"The hotel?"  
  
"Yes. I wanna go there."  
  
"Terrific. When would you like me to." Cordy was already walking on. "Now? Now you would like to." Cordy snapped her fingers in the air without looking back at Nev. "Without security? Without an entourage of me? Right. I'll give them a call." Nev said into the phone, "Josh, car, side door, now."  
  
  
  
"Anything?" Fred asked.  
  
"No. Apparently the conduit doesn't like.well, anyone." Buffy said.  
  
"All we got was thrown around." Angel said.  
  
"Are you guys ok?" Wes asked.  
  
"We're fine. Buffy had a little bit of a limp from landing wrong on her ankle, but I think she's fine now."  
  
"I am. It's this whole thing where I have more weight than I'm used to in the front." Buffy said. Fred offered her a chair, but she declined.  
  
"Have you guys found anything?" Angel asked.  
  
"Not a thing! I just don't know where to look!" Fred said. "Lorne is out talking to some of his contacts and Gunn's watching Cordy, but as of now. nothing. Sorry."  
  
"It's ok. Just keep looking. We're going to go up and give Gunn a break."  
  
"Are you sure?" Wes asked.  
  
"Positive." Buffy and Angel said as they headed out the door and towards the stairs.  
  
  
  
Cordelia rang the doorbell at 171 Oak. She had been to the Hyperion and found this address in a room that was so familiar to her, but she couldn't place why. All she knew was that she wanted to find out why this address seemed so important to her.  
  
The door opened and a teenage girl popped her head out. "Oh, hi. I'm. I'm really sorry to bother you."  
  
"Oh, my god. You're Cordelia Chase. You're Cordy!"  
  
"Yeah, hi. Listen, I know you don't know me, but would you mind if I."  
  
"Oh! Please, come in."  
  
"Oh, thanks."  
  
Cordy walked in and the girl shut the door behind them. "I'm Cynthia. Cynthia York. And I love your show. Like, LOVE, love. You're just you're my idol, Cordy. I wanna be just like you, and have my own design firm and. Wait a second. What are you doing in Reseda?"  
  
"Yeah, um, hmm. Good question. Um, this is gonna sound a little bizarre, but, um, is everything okay here? Nothing bad happened, has it?"  
  
"My dad left us a couple months ago."  
  
"Oh. Honey, I'm sorry. Is your mom here?"  
  
"She's up in Ojai visiting friends."  
  
"Oh. Well, ah. That's, ah. Well, okay, then, ahem." Cordy started to leave.  
  
"Hey! You wanna see something cool?" Cynthia called to her.  
  
"Sure." Cordy said, turning back and following Cynthia a little ways into the room. On the other side of the couch was a pentagram drawn on the floor.  
  
"It's a retrieval spell. I'm gonna make my dad come back and live with us again. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. Even though I spilled some diet coke on the book I was using and had to improvise a little. Pretty cool pentagram, huh?"  
  
"Cynthia? I think we should get out of here before." A blue light flashed and rose from the pentagram and then died away, revealing a big demon. ".that happens" Cordy pushed Cynthia towards the door. "Get our of here, Cynthia. Go!"  
  
Cordy picked up a lamp and smashed it over the demon's head. She turned to run, but the demon tripped her. It grabbed her leg and started to pull her towards it. Cordy grabbed a book and hit the monster in the face. It fell back just as the door opened. A tall black man, Wesley, and Buffy walked in, weapons at ready. Wes was missing an arm, the sleeve pinned up at his side. "Get the girl." Wesley said.  
  
"Lets go! Outside." The man said.  
  
Wes stepped up and ran the demon through with his sword while Buffy punched the heck out of the demon.  
  
"Wesley, Buffy, what are you doing here and what happened to your other arm Wes?" Cordy asked.  
  
Wesley shoved her out of the way. The black man came back in and together, he, Buffy, and Wesley beat the monster down. Once it was unconscious, Buffy stabbed it with a sword to kill it.  
  
"So, you all, like, kill things now? Cause last time I saw you Wes, you just kind of fainted in front of them." Cordy said.  
  
"Cordelia, why the hell are you here?" Buffy asked  
  
"I know, I know. Reseda. It's practically the ninth circle of hell."  
  
"Not Reseda. Here in this house. Is that girl a friend of yours?" Wesley said.  
  
"Oh, look, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, Wesley, and. But there is something weird going on with me. Like Sunnydale weird."  
  
"Oh, my god." Cynthia said, looking at the dead monster. "My mom is gonna freak."  
  
Wes and the black guy picked up the demon and hauled it out to a beat up truck. Buffy and Wes led Cordy away while the other man put the demon under a tarp as Cordelia told her story.  
  
".And underneath the wallpaper was an address. This address. So, for absolutely no sane person reason I can think of, I come out here and whammo! Slimy monster fun time. What's up with that?" she finished.  
  
"I'm not sure. I'd have to consult my books." Wes said.  
  
"Some things never change."  
  
"And Buffy! Gotta say, your lack in fashion has gone way down." Cordy said, taking in Buffy's tight-at-the-hips-way-to-loose-the-rest-of-the-way- down pants and skin tight black shirt that had a rip on one arm.  
  
"Geez Cordelia, your right. Some things never change." Buffy retorted.  
  
Cordy noticed the small scars on her neck. One was a vampire bite that must have been where Angel had bit her and the other was half across the bottom of her neck. 'What happened to your neck!"  
  
"Angel, bit me."  
  
"I know that! The other scar!"  
  
"Oh." Buffy fingered it lightly. "Ran into some trouble with a Polgara demon a while ago and its skewer got me."  
  
"Wow."  
  
The black guy came up and cleared his throat.  
  
"Oh, sorry. This is our partner, Charles Gunn." Wesley said.  
  
"Man, Wes and Buffy told me they knew you, but I. I didn't believe him." Gunn said.  
  
"Yeah, we go way back. Back to, um, when Wesley had two arms, which, by the way." Cordy said.  
  
"Uh, Kungai demon a couple of years ago." Wes filled in.  
  
"Hey, is it true that you and Wes were. You know, that you had a little." Gunn asked.  
  
".humiliating kiss where he drooled all over my chin? Yeah. But I worked really hard to repress it." Cordy said.  
  
"Right. Well, as much as I'm enjoying this forced death march down memory lane." Wes said.  
  
"Hey, what is it with you Sunnydale folks and repression? I mean, you four are the most denying it folks I've ever met." Gunn said.  
  
"Three? Who else is here in LA?" Cordy asked.  
  
  
  
"Any change?" Fred asked. She had come up to give Buffy and Angel some tea.  
  
"Nothing." Buffy said. "She's just. gone."  
  
"We're still looking."  
  
"Has Lorne come back yet?" Angel asked.  
  
"No. He called though and said that he had. absolutely nothing."  
  
"Damn it."  
  
"Angel." Buffy warned.  
  
"Sorry. This is just so frustrating. Cordy could have prevented this whole thing if she had just told someone."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I'm gonna go back down and help Wes out some more. Let us know if there's a change. Any change." Fred said.  
  
"We will." Buffy said gingerly.  
  
Fred walked out of the room and Angel sighed. Buffy climbed on his lap and he laid his head on her chest. She stroked his hair and cheek, telling him that everything was going to work out.  
  
  
  
Buffy led Wes, Cordelia, and Gunn into her apartment.  
  
"Cordelia, I want you to think about this. Angel's not the person you knew. He came to Los Angeles in pain, vulnerable and when Doyle, his only friend died he. he retreated into himself." Wesley said.  
  
"Him getting the visions didn't help either." Buffy added.  
  
"He left you." Cordy said to Buffy.  
  
"I know. Wes called me up and told me what was going on. When I came, I was the only one Angel would respond to."  
  
"So, let me get this straight. Angel gets the visions of people who are gonna die, and he tells you, and you go out and slay, and this is how you make your living? This has got to be the suckiest job in the world."  
  
"It pays the bills occasionally." Gunn said.  
  
Buffy walked to a door and retrieved a key.  
  
"Don't be shocked by his condition. The visions have taken a toll, and the isolation. Sometimes he sends us out to save people he killed two hundred years ago." Wes said.  
  
"So, why don't we just tell him you stopped by and said hi?" Buffy added.  
  
"I've gotta see him." Cordy said.  
  
Buffy opened the door to reveal a room with shackles hanging from the ceiling, a mattress laying lopsided on the floor, and a bare footed Angel sitting on them. His arms were wrapped tightly around his knees and as the door opened further, they tightened. Cordelia stared at the shackles.  
  
"Restraints. Sometimes the visions make him too violent for Buffy to handle." Wesley said grimly.  
  
Suddenly Angel stood, arms wrapped firmly around himself, and started to mumble. "One seven one Oak drive, do you hear me? I feel better now. I can be alone here. I won't run away."  
  
"Oh my God." Cordy said.  
  
"This is one of his good days." Wes said.  
  
"No, I. I won't. I won't do that. I won't do. I didn't mean. I didn't mean. Only if it's dead. It's me." Angel dropped back down on the corner of the mattress. "It was my fault. It was me. I'm okay. I didn't mean. I didn't mean."  
  
Cordy took a step closer, but Buffy held her back. "Don't get too close."  
  
"Ah! I won't run away." Angel continued.  
  
Buffy walked up to him and gently lifted his head so he would look at her. "Hi."  
  
"Hi. You're Buffy. Hi. I'm sorry. I did it. I didn't mean though. Won't do it again. Won't run away."  
  
"No. No, you won't will you?"  
  
"No. No. No."  
  
"You have someone here who wants to see you."  
  
Angel's head jerked towards Cordy.  
  
"Angel. Do you remember me?" Cordy squatted down beside him. "I'm Cordelia?"  
  
Angel scrambled away on all fours and retreated to a corner.  
  
Buffy stood and looked apologetically at Cordy. She went towards Angel and sat beside him. "It's Cordelia, Angel. You remember Cordy."  
  
"No. I'm afraid." Angel said laying his head on Buffy's chest. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid."  
  
"Shh." Buffy slowly rocked him back and forth as Cordy came up to them.  
  
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Cordy said.  
  
"I'm fine. Fine. One seven one. One seven one. You'll see. You'll see, one seven one. My head doesn't hurt." Angel lifted his head and banged it back against the wall. "My head doesn't hurt. Now I'm warm. My head doesn't hurt." He wouldn't stop banging until Buffy grabbed his head and forced him to stop.  
  
"Angel, stop. Stop. Please? For Buffy?" Buffy said.  
  
"For Buffy."  
  
"You don't remember me, do you?" Cordy asked him.  
  
"I was there. I wanted to die. But. but I was. was afraid to die. So afraid to die. One seven one." Angel kept repeating the number over and over while he wrote it with his hand on the wall.  
  
"Shh, Angel, it's okay. Everything is gonna be okay." Buffy said. She took his hand from the wall and placed it gently on her leg. Angel left it there and laid back down on Buffy's chest.  
  
"It was my fault. I was there. I couldn't do anything. There was nothing I could do." Angel said.  
  
"Buffy's right. everything is going to be ok." Cordy leaned in and gently took Angel's head in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Suddenly, everything slowed down and a blue light passed from Angel to her. When Cordy sat back on her heels, everything was frozen in place. Buffy stared in astonishment next to a stunned Angel. Wes and Gunn stood behind her, staring at the scene that had just been played out.  
  
"I remember everything. The visions." Cordy walked over to where Skip was suddenly standing in the room, ".they're mine."  
  
"We made a deal. You gave up the visions, not to mention the certain death that goes with them, and you get to live out your dream. Call me crazy, but I thought that was a pretty fair trade." Skip said.  
  
"Sure it's fair, but it wasn't me."  
  
"We've been over this. I respect what you're trying to do. It's noble and heroic, and all that other Russell Crowe 'Gladiator' crap."  
  
"You've seen."  
  
"Didn't love it. The fact remains that humans are not strong enough to harbor the visions! Period. Even the Powers That Be can't change that."  
  
"Then find a loop hole, Skip. I know my purpose in this world and it includes the visions. And if the Powers That Be aren't complete dumb- asses, they know it, too."  
  
"There maybe a tiny loophole."  
  
"I'll take it."  
  
"You may wanna think about that. The only way you get to keep the visions is by becoming part demon. The process isn't easy. It'll make your vision pain feel like a stroll through Candyland. And even after the pain subsides the effects of the transition will be numerous and unpredictable. You may never be able to lead a human life again."  
  
Cordy looked over at Buffy and Angel, knowing that this wasn't the way they were supposed to be. Knowing that life wasn't supposed to be like this. She looked back at Skip. "So, demonize me already."  
  
"It was an honor being your guide, Cordelia Chase."  
  
She smiled at him. Skip put his hand to Cordy's forehead and a bright light went from him to her. Cordy screamed in pain.  
  
  
  
Cordy started to scream and arch her back on Angel's bed. Buffy and Angel shot up and went to her side. The rest of the gang, hearing the screaming, came running in the room.  
  
"What's happening to her?" Fred asked.  
  
Cordy shot up on the bed, gasping, and opened her eyes.  
  
Angel caught her in a hug. "I thought we'd lost you!"  
  
"Angel." Cordy said. She gasped and darted out of his reach. Cordelia started to check her body. "No horns. No tail! Whew, just checking." The others all stared at her. She got out of bed and stretched. "It feels so good to be solid again."  
  
"Cordelia, what is the last thing you remember?" Wes asked.  
  
"When? I've been so. Oh. You mean the vision downstairs. No, I had a vision, but it's been taken care off. There was this actress, and a one- armed guy and a girl with scars on her neck. It's a long story. But right now, we have to solve my vision."  
  
"The one you just said was taken care of?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No. The one I'm having right now. There is a young man in a park in Glendale. Uh, somewhere near a pond. There is a demon waiting for him. He's red with four, no make that five horns."  
  
They all just stared at her. Angel took a small step forward. "Uh, Cordy?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Cordy was floating about a foot off the floor. She looked down just as she started to float back down. "Weird! Who's going?"  
  
The other just shrugged. Gunn and Wesley headed out the door, Cordy, Lorne, and Fred following. Buffy and Angel were the last ones out. 


	10. Quickening

Chapter 10  
  
Quickening  
  
"Wait.. Are you saying that our baby is evil?" Angel asked.  
  
Wesley and Fred were standing in front of him, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Gunn, Lorne, and Cordelia. Buffy, Angel, and Cordy were on the settee, Gunn, Willow, and Xander were sitting on the floor in front of them and Lorne was in a chair he had pulled up. Wesley was telling them about a prophecy from the Nyazian scrolls he had found.  
  
"Not necessarily." Fred said.  
  
"The Nyazian prophecies mention a Tro-clan." Wesley said.  
  
"That's supposed to be here about now."  
  
"Born out of light to bring darkness."  
  
"Great. So, we're saying that mine and Angel's child is the scourge of mankind?" Buffy said with a slight moan.  
  
"You guys are upsetting her." Cordy said.  
  
"No, it's just Conner's kicks keep getting stronger. It's as if he's getting stronger." Buffy was in her eighth month and her stomach was sticking out so far that she felt like a toothpick with a giant olive on it.  
  
"I don't accept this. These stupid prophecies, you can always interpret them a hundred ways from Sunday. How do we even know your calculations are correct?" Angel asked.  
  
"I don't. I'm still working on them." Fred said.  
  
"Well, we do know that Buffy is pregnant with a baby." Gunn said.  
  
"Which is biologically impossible." Willow said.  
  
"Buffy's a slayer and Angel's a vampire. Both Giles and Wesley said that Buffy was never going to be able to have children. And Angel's.. well, dead. No offense." Xander said.  
  
"None taken." Angel replied.  
  
"And it's mystically unfair. You've fought long and hard for good. If your destiny is to spawn something evil.." Lorne said.  
  
"I don't see how anything spawned by Buffy and me could be bad."  
  
"You know the first prophecy that said that the vampire with a soul would be pivotal in the battle between good and evil?" Wesley said.  
  
"That Shanshu one?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Maybe it's not you Angel. Maybe Buffy and your child is a pivotal figure. Maybe your destiny is simply to help bring him to the world." Willow said.  
  
"Or to stop it." Angel said.  
  
"What!?" Buffy said. "Cordy!"  
  
"Angel, that's not fair. Not a month ago you were all 'woo, baby, woo' and now you're 'don't let Buffy have it'? What's up with that?" Cordy said.  
  
"Can I say something about destiny? Screw destiny! If this evil thing comes we'll fight it, and we'll keep fighting it until we whoop it. Cause destiny is just another word for inevitable and nothing's inevitable as long as you stand up, look it in the eye, and say 'your evitable!' Well, you.. you catch my drift." Fred said.  
  
"Wow! I like her so much!" Lorne said.  
  
"I wanna see these prophecies myself, and your calculations, Fred, and anything else we got on this." Buffy said. "My kid is not evil!"  
  
"Good idea. We put our heads together and figure out a way to fight this thing." Wes said. "But, even with a soul, Buffy could give birth to what's spoken of in the prophecies."  
  
"The thing that's coming to kill and burn us all? I know that. I also know the child is mine. Mine and Buffy's." Angel said.  
  
"Right."  
  
"Well! Another big fun day at Angel Investigations. What do you say we pour ourselves a good stiff cup oh coffee?" Cordy said.  
  
"I'm going upstairs." Buffy said. "Guys, will you come with me?"  
  
"Sure Buffy." Willow said. The red head and Xander got up and followed Buffy up to Angel's room.  
  
Angel walked over to Lorne. "Do you think she's mad?"  
  
"She's worn out and honestly Angel face.. she's hurting. Buffy is a sensitive person. She takes everything personal. He aura is just screaming pain right now. And trust me, it ain't the force of the little whippier snapper's kicks." Lorne said.  
  
"Should I.. Should I go talk to her?"  
  
"Let her be with her friend right now. The look on her face when you said that you might have to stop the kid from coming into this world.. Just let her be for right now Angel face." Lorne walked off and left Angel staring up the stairs.  
  
  
  
"Willow, how could he say something like that?" Buffy sobbed. "I thought he loved me."  
  
"Ah, Buffy. He does love you. It was only a suggestion." Willow said.  
  
"I love this baby, Willow, and there is nothing that is going to stop me from having him. He has a soul, I can feel it. There is just no way that he can be evil."  
  
"I know Buffy." Willow pulled Buffy into a hug.  
  
"Man, that just burns my eggs!" Xander said. "I hate prophecies that contain Buffy! They always bring gloom and doom!"  
  
"Xander!"  
  
"Well, they do! I remember the first prophecy Buffy was in. It said, 'uh oh, slayer's gonna die!"  
  
"Now it's: hey, slayer's carrying something evil!" Buffy said, wiping her tears away. "Well damn it! This slayer had always defied prophecy and I'm gonna do it again. No one is going to touch my baby!"  
  
"That's the spirit Buff!"  
  
  
  
"Who is this 'unidentified, pregnant female'?" Lilah asked. She was down in the basement of Wolfram and Hart.  
  
"I.. I don't know. We lost audio for a couple of days last month. I can pull the tape." The transcriber said. He pulled out the tape that was in the VCR and popped in another one. On the screen Buffy and Angel walked in to the lobby of the Hyperion.  
  
"Buffy?" Lilah said, startled that the slayer that Angel had been involved with a few years ago was showing up with him at his doorstep, pregnant.  
  
"Buffy? That's impossible. Slayers can't give birth!" Gavin said.  
  
"Tell me about it." Lilah pulled out her phone. "Linwood? It's Lilah. You're not gonna believe what I'm looking at."  
  
  
  
"Buffy?" Angel asked. He walked into the room to find Willow and Buffy sitting on the bed and Xander sitting in the chair next to it. They had been talking and Buffy had dried tear lines on her face. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Kind of." Buffy answered.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
"It's your room." Buffy replied a bit coldly.  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I was just saying.. maybe the baby is something we're supposed to stop."  
  
"Then why would the powers send something this amazing to us? Why would they get my hopes up to live my dreams and then take it all away? I know that they can be cruel sometimes, but they would never be that cruel."  
  
"I.."  
  
"You what? You understand? I don't think you could understand! If you did, you wouldn't have been able to suggest that OUR baby is evil and should be destroyed."  
  
"I didn't mean.."  
  
"No, Angel. You never mean. You've always done that. You've always tried to decide what is best for me and now you're not only doing it to me, you're doing it to our unborn child. It stops now. From now on.." Buffy took a deep breath. "I.. I decide wha.."  
  
"Buffy?" Willow asked.  
  
The slayer didn't respond. Buffy sat there a started to take deep, gasping breaths. Angel came over to her, but she pushed him away. She tried to stand, but the pain she was feeling wouldn't allow her legs to hold her up. Xander caught her just as she was about to hit the floor.  
  
"Buffy!" Xander called. She was unconscious.  
  
"Xander, what's wrong with her?" Angel asked, coming to Buffy and laying her head on his knees.  
  
"I..I don't know."  
  
"Willow?" Angel pleaded, looking at her with tears starting to form.  
  
"Buffy?" Willow called, fanning her friend with her hand. "Can you hear me?" Willow checked for a pulse.  
  
"Her heartbeat, it's still there, but it's faint." Angel said. "I can hear it."  
  
"We need to get her to a hospital." Xander said.  
  
"Gunn!" Angel yelled.  
  
Gunn ran in a few seconds later followed by Cordy.  
  
"Call the 911. Tell them we need an ambulance." Angel said.  
  
Gunn ran off and Cordy came up to Angel. "Oh God, Buffy! What's wrong with her?"  
  
"I.. I don't know. She was practically yelling at me for what I said earlier to her about the baby then she started to breath heavy, like she was trying to get air, but she couldn't. She stood up and tried to walk away, but she fainted. Her.. Her heartbeat is really weak."  
  
Gunn ran back in. "Ambulance is on its way."  
  
Angel started to get up. Willow and Xander got out of his way to allow him to pick Buffy up. Gently, Angel slipped his arms under Buffy's small form and lifted her with ease. Gunn led the way down the stairs and cleared the couch so Angel could lay her there until the ambulance arrived.  
  
"Angel? What's going on?" Wesley asked as he and Fred came up behind the small group.  
  
"I don't know. Everyone just back up! Give her some air." Angel snapped.  
  
Willow came up and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Angel. Calm down. Buffy needs you right now."  
  
"This is all my fault. If I hadn't said that maybe we should destroy the baby, she never would have gotten so worked up."  
  
"We don't know if that's what this is."  
  
"I think the ambulance is here." Xander said from the doorway.  
  
Sure enough, a stretcher and two paramedics came in. They headed over to Buffy and started to work on her. One of the paramedics started to talk to Willow about what had happened prior to Buffy fainting. She told him that they had been talking and Buffy had been crying over something a friend said and then her husband came in and she got severely mad, madder than she usually ever got, yelled at him a little, pushed him away, got up, then she fainted. The paramedics put Buffy on the stretcher and started to cart her out the door.  
  
Angel turned to Wesley and Fred. "Wes, you and Fred stay here and work on those prophecies. Cordy, you Willow, Xander, and Gunn take my car, the keys are on the counter, and follow the ambulance." They all nodded as Angel ran out the door with Buffy.  
  
The ride to the hospital was a nightmare for Angel. Even though it was quick, he couldn't stand seeing them hook Buffy up to the IV and the monitors that showed hers and the baby's heartbeats. When they arrived, they made Angel stay out in the hallway as they carted Buffy into an examination room. Angel stared through the windows, not able to see Buffy's small form through the mass of doctors. Gunn, Cordy, Willow, and Xander came running up to Angel.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Gunn asked.  
  
"I don't know. The, uh, the paramedics wouldn't tell me much of anything in the ambulance." Angel replied.  
  
"Oh Angel." Cordy said. She slipped her arm around his shoulder and he leaned into a hug. "It's Buffy. She's going to make it through this just like she's made it through everything else."  
  
One of the doctors came out and approached Angel. "She's going to be fine. We got her stabilized, but we want to move her to an observation room and watch her and the baby over night."  
  
"O.. ok." Angel said.  
  
"What was wrong with her, doc?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Stress. She was really stressed over something and it got to be too much for her body at this stage of the pregnancy to handle and it just gave out on her. It made her very dehydrated and that's what caused her to faint. We hooked her up to an IV that will administer fluids that she lost back into her body. You can talk to the nurse in about five, ten minutes tops, to see what room we've moved her too." The doctor walked away and went to talk to the nurse at the station at the end of the hallway.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the nurse came up to Angel and told him they had moved Buffy into room 265 and that it was fine to go see her. Angel bolted down the hallway and found Buffy's room at the end of the hall on the second floor.  
  
Buffy laid there, an IV hooked into the back of her left hand. An oxygen tube ran from her nose to an oxygen tank and a machine that monitored every breath she took. At the moment she was asleep.  
  
Angel picked up a chair and quietly sat it beside her bed. He picked up her limp hand and stroked it with his thumb. Silently, Angel started to cry.  
  
"Buffy, I love you so much. You can't do this to me. I'm sorry I made you so angry, but you made me angry today too. You've been so stressed about a lot of things and it was getting to you. Why didn't you tell me? I can't lose you again Buffy. I lost you one too many times. Most people would say that they don't care if the baby makes it, even though they don't really mean it, that they can make another one. All they want is for the person they love to get better. But we're not people, are we? We won't be able to make another one. Buffy, I need you AND Conner to make it through. I don't want to destroy our baby. I'm not prepared to destroy something so precious and fragile and.. I couldn't destroy a miracle. Our miracle."  
  
Angel laid his head down on Buffy's hand. He just laid there, silently crying. A few minutes passed and there was a small knock on the door.  
  
"Angel?" Wesley asked quietly.  
  
Angel looked up and wiped away the tears that had stained his face. "Yeah?"  
  
"Sorry to intrude. We had a bit of a breakthrough with the Nyazian Scroll translation. I thought you should know."  
  
"It turns out that some of the irregular verbs Wes was using were problematic when converted to Ga-shundi because of the Nyazian trick of converting both nouns and verbs, which he discovered by.. Sorry. I'll shut up now so he can tell you what he figured out." Fred said quietly.  
  
"The Tro-clan isn't a person or persons. It's a confluence of events."  
  
"Which means it not only involves you, Buffy, and the child, but other horrible things we don't know about."  
  
"That..That's good. Right? I mean, doesn't that mean that the kid isn't this evil, apocalyptic thing that we feared?" Angel asked.  
  
"Not necessarily. There are a few Nyazian phrases related specifically to the thing being born that I haven't been able to complete." Wes said.  
  
"So it's important that you do."  
  
  
  
"I don't care how much it costs. Just find someone who can answer the bloody question. Heads are gonna roll if the Senior Partners hear about this." Linwood said closing his phone. He, Lilah, and Gavin were walking down a hallway of Wolfram and Hart.  
  
"They won't. That's why we came directly to you." Galvin said.  
  
"The slayer, pregnant. How'd we miss it?"  
  
"I'm sequestering the psychics and the mind readers in the conference room. We will get to the bottom of this." Lilah said.  
  
"Man works hard, builds something, waters it, grows rich and powerful. Leaves his wife for a younger beauty. These are the reasons we take certain blood oaths. And to have it all vanish because.."  
  
"Sir, I can't stress enough. There is no way we could have foreseen this."  
  
"She's right, sir. No one could have known." Gavin said.  
  
  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked weakly.  
  
"I'm here sweetie." Angel said, holding Buffy's hand.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
"You're in the hospital."  
  
"What? Why?" Buffy tried to get up.  
  
"No, Buffy. You have to stay here."  
  
"Why?" Buffy was ready to cry. "Is it the baby?"  
  
"No, and yes."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The doctor said that you were overly stressed and your body couldn't handle it anymore. Buffy, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"What do you mean my body couldn't handle it? I'm the slayer!"  
  
"He said that at this stage of your pregnancy, it was possible for you to get over stressed."  
  
"I'm not stressed. What I am is pissed off that you put me in here! I want out."  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
She started to cry. "Get me out of here Angel! I don't want to be here."  
  
"Shh." Angel stroked her hair and forehead. "I know, I know. You can leave tomorrow. I promise."  
  
"I wanna leave now. I don't want to be in this place.. this death trap."  
  
Angel grabbed Buffy as she tried to bolt away. She responded by latching onto his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and sat on the bed, rocking her gently as she cried.  
  
  
  
"They are telling the truth." The mind reader said.  
  
"Thank you." Lilah said, stepping up to Linwood. "Intelligence is just coming in. No one seems to know how Buffy could be pregnant. There is a rumor about a prophecy involving a vampire/slayer birth, but the Scroll it's recorded on seems to be missing."  
  
"Do you have any idea how many groups and cults and organizations would kill to get their hands on this baby? We've got to get it before anybody finds out." Linwood said.  
  
"Yes sir. And we will."  
  
"We need to get it, dissect it, and find out what it means."  
  
"Berlin's on the phone for you, sir." Gavin said.  
  
"Oh, god. If they've heard about this in Berlin, Singapore and Muncie can't be far behind. Now listen, if the Senior Partners are looking to assign blame, the buck stops here, you understand me?"  
  
"Not exactly, sir." Lilah said.  
  
"If the Partners are looking to place blame, I'm gonna have to step forward."  
  
"That's inspiring sir."  
  
"Yes, I'll step forward and blame you. Buffy was resurrected on your watch. I can think of no better scapegoat." Linwood patted Lilah on the shoulder and walked out.  
  
Gavin smiled at Lilah.  
  
"You think this is over? Watch and learn, rookie." Lilah said to him as she put her phone to her ear.  
  
  
  
"Psst! Paging doctor Angel!" Cordy called from a doorway.  
  
Angel was pushing Buffy in a wheelchair down a hallway of the hospital. Wesley had decided that since they were here they could check on the baby; see if it was fully normal. And Buffy had agreed.  
  
Angel pushed her into the large room. "What is this? A classroom?"  
  
"Yes. It's a teaching hospital. How are you feeling, Buffy?"  
  
Buffy snorted.  
  
"That well, huh?" Xander asked with a smile.  
  
"Here you go, one ultra-sound machine." Gunn said as he and Fred wheeled in an ultra-sound machine.  
  
"Buffy, up on the table please." Willow said. She was enjoying the fact that she was getting to work with all these cool medical things. It was something to take her mind off magic.  
  
Buffy smiled at Willow and got up on the table with Angel's help. "Ok Doctor Rosenburg, gel me."  
  
Willow put the jelly on Buffy's now exposed stomach and turned on the ultra- sound machine. "Well, then. Let's take a look, shall we?"  
  
"Well, I haven't studied one of these for quite a while." Wesley said.  
  
"Isn't that a head?" Angel asked.  
  
"I think it is. Or is that the head?" Xander asked.  
  
"Maybe you're both right." Fred said. Everyone turned to look at her. "It's not like I'm suggesting it's an evil two-headed thing."  
  
Willow moved the sensor around Buffy's stomach.  
  
"I see it!" Cordy exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, my.." Wes said.  
  
"What is it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"It's.. it's most definitely human."  
  
"Human as is in humanoid? As in cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Hey!" Buffy said.  
  
"No, human as in a boy." Willow said. "Just as the doctor said before."  
  
"Are you sure that's not a tentacle?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Of course she's sure!" Buffy said. Then she looked at Willow. "You are sure, right?"  
  
"I'm sure I'm sure."  
  
"Guys. As fascinating as an ultra-sound image of an unborn child may appear.." Fred said.  
  
"You know what that means?" Angel asked.  
  
"We're surrounded by vampires?"  
  
"No, it's a human bo." Angel trailed off as he noticed all the vampires above them in the teaching gallery. "Oh. We ARE surrounded by vampires." 


	11. Quickening (part 2)

Chapter 11  
  
Quickening (part 2)  
  
"Ahem, so, who has a plan?" Cordy said.  
  
"Don't let 'em kill us sounds like a good first step." Gunn said.  
  
"The miracle child!" a vampire said. The other vampires echoed this. "For his time has come." All the vamps bowed down. "Praise be. Praise be. Praise be."  
  
"Hey, I'm all for being idolized, but what the hell is going on?" Cordy said.  
  
"What do you want?" Angel asked, standing in front of Buffy.  
  
"To protect the miracle child." The main vamp said.  
  
"Protect? Ah, that's good. We're all here for the same thing."  
  
Suddenly, a man dressed like a ninja came jumping down from the teaching area screaming, "Die!" All the vampires attacked him. He went down with a strangled scream. There was a crunch and then a slurping sound.  
  
The main vamp pulled away and looked at Buffy, who was now sitting up to get a better look at the action. "As it has been prophesied by our great potentate Ul-thar, we vow our lives to protect this special child."  
  
"You hear that? Our kid. Special." Angel said to Buffy.  
  
"Now let us kill the humans so we may use their blood as a sacrifice to nourish the mother and her miracle child."  
  
"What?" Buffy asked.  
  
  
  
"Commander, this should provide your ops team with a solid tactical base. Plan and elevation drawings of every floor in Angel's hotel. I also have strategic surveillance capabilities, so we can monitor the engagement from here." Gavin said.  
  
"Excellent. I'm confident my men will be able to capture and retrieve the target. The larger question revolves around subsequent extraction of the target's cargo." The commander said.  
  
Linwood looked from the commander to Gavin.  
  
"Getting the baby from Buffy." Gavin clarified.  
  
"Of course. And for that we have called in an expert." Linwood said. Lilah walked in with a man dressed in black.  
  
"You flatter me, sir." The man said.  
  
"Gentlemen, may I introduce Dr. Fetvanovich from our satellite office in the Balkans." Lilah said.  
  
Linwood shook the doctor's hand. "How do you do, doctor?"  
  
"Dr. Fetvanovich is the world's foremost specialist in paranormal obstetrics. We are very fortunate he's consented to help."  
  
"It is I who feel fortunate. A vampire/slayer birth is, ah, unprecedented. I look forward to dissecting both the mother and the child."  
  
  
  
"Buffy, you might want to join the fight." Angel said.  
  
"Sorry, darling. I'm gonna have to be Switzerland and sit this one out. Now, you did say you were just gonna kill the humans, right?" Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy!" Willow said.  
  
"I was just kidding."  
  
"Yes, just the humans. Then we will nourish you, slice you open, wear your entrails as a belt and consume your eyeballs before we worship the miracle child." The vampire said.  
  
Buffy jumped off the table. "Ok, I'm in!"  
  
"Gunn, you and I can hold them off for as long as we can. The rest of you, get Buffy to the car." Angel said.  
  
"Oh, I'd rather stay and fight. Show these vamps a thing or two about real carnage."  
  
"That's thoughtful, but you know, you should go."  
  
"Charles, do you have an extra dagger I could borrow?" Fred asked.  
  
Gunn pulled out a dagger and handed it to her. "This ok?"  
  
"It's perfect."  
  
"On my count of three. One, two.." Angel said.  
  
Fred grabbed Buffy and held the dagger to her stomach. "You freaks make one move and I'll slice the miracle kid into triplets."  
  
"It's always the quiet ones." Cordy and Xander said.  
  
"Wait!" the vamp said.  
  
"They don't know the knife can't hurt the baby." Fred said to Buffy.  
  
"They do now. Vampires have great hearing." Buffy said. The vamp leader smiled. "Here we go."  
  
The vamps attacked.  
  
"Everybody out!" Wes called.  
  
They all backed up through the doors. Angel and Buffy were the last ones to leave. They had broken a broom and were know using the pieces to stake the vamps. They all ran out to Angel and Wesley's cars and hopped in. Soon they were speeding down the nighttime streets of LA.  
  
Cordy, Angel, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Gunn were in Angel's car while Wesley and Fred were in his car.  
  
"I think we lost 'em." Gunn said.  
  
"Anybody hurt?" Angel asked.  
  
"Nothing a couple of band aids and a pint of Heath bar crunch can't fix." Cordy replied.  
  
"Buffy? Buffy, everything ok?"  
  
Buffy squinched up a bit over her stomach. "Yeah, fine."  
  
"You all right?" Xander asked.  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"It's the kid, isn't it? Seeing him on the monitor." Angel said.  
  
"No." There was a tear in Buffy's eye. "So, where 're we going? I'm famished and we all know how ugly that can get."  
  
"Where are we going?" Willow asked.  
  
"Somewhere safe." Angel said.  
  
"Where's safe? The hotel is definitely out." Cordy said.  
  
"How about if we go to.." Gunn started.  
  
"Vegas? Sorry, Gunn, too high profile, but I agree we need to get out of dodge. Besides, Buffy and I were there a few months ago." Angel said.  
  
"Actually.." Willow said.  
  
"God! I hate it when you say that word! 'Actually' means that your oversized gi-normous brain thought of something that the rest of us failed to consider, right?" Cordy said.  
  
"Just, other people seem to know a lot more about this kid's importance than we do. The only thing that can help us is back at the hotel. We can't protect your guy's child unless we get the scrolls."  
  
"Okay then. Quick stop." Angel said.  
  
  
  
Lilah, Linwood, and Gavin all watched on the monitors in the basement of Wolfram and Hart as some guy strolled in.  
  
"Is this man with you?" the doctor asked the commander.  
  
A team was at the Hyperion and setting up medical tools when a man had walked in and interrupted them.  
  
"Where is Angelus?" the man asked.  
  
"Who is this pirate with a sword, and what is he doing in the middle of my operation?" Linwood asked.  
  
"I don't know, sir. But he called Angel by his old name, Angelus." Lilah said.  
  
The audio started to crackle. "I need better audio."  
  
The transcriber fiddled with some wires. "Any second."  
  
"Hand over the vampires." The new arrival said.  
  
"This has gone on long enough." Linwood picked up his radio. "I don't care who that man is. Take him out. Take him out now. Over."  
  
"Take him out!" the commander said on the screen.  
  
The screen went to snow as the commandos closed in and the screaming began.  
  
"This should be sweet." Gavin said.  
  
"Picture?" Linwood said.  
  
"I'm working on it, sir." The transcriber said.  
  
"Burke's never lost." Gavin said.  
  
"I'm sure it'll be over in just a second." Lilah added.  
  
There was a long scream on the speakers.  
  
"That should do it."  
  
"Anybody there? Over." Linwood said into the radio.  
  
  
  
"Why 're we stopping here?" Cordy asked.  
  
"It's only a couple of blocks from the hotel. I'll go the rest of the way on foot." Angel said. He had pulled the car into an alley and stopped.  
  
"Hey, who said you get to be wheel man?" Gunn asked when Cordy slid into the driver's seat after Angel got out.  
  
"Who said it had to be a man?" Cordy retorted.  
  
"The scrolls?" Angel asked.  
  
"In the cabinet back in the office." Wesley replied, getting out of his car.  
  
"If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me."  
  
"Leave to where?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Anywhere. Somewhere safe."  
  
"Angel?" Buffy said.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She stared at him, then decided to just let him go. "Just get out of here."  
  
Angel went to her and kissed her before he went back to the building and jumped onto the ladder, climbing up it.  
  
Angel ran along the corridor in the Hyperion, dropped down into the lobby and looked around at the destruction of medical equipment and the bodies of a Wolfram and Hart team. He saw a doctor's body with chicken feet sticking out of his pants.  
  
"Angelus." A voice said behind him. Angel swirled around to find Holtz standing there. "I've been looking for you."  
  
Buffy was still in the back of the car. Wes was sitting on the trunk facing Fred who standing behind the car. Gunn was sitting on the side of the passenger door. Willow was sitting with Buffy while Xander sat in the passenger seat. Cordy started the car. "He said five minutes!" Gunn said. "It's been six and a half." Cordy replied. "That's so typical of him!" Buffy said. "It probably wouldn't hurt to wait another minute, right? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen in another minute?" Fred asked. Buffy let out a scream. "Ask a stupid question.." Fred said. "What are we gonna do? Shouldn't we go somewhere?" Cordy said. "What's keeping Angel?" "Buffy, what is it?" Willow asked. "The.. The baby." Buffy managed. "I think it might be time." They all just stared at her. 


	12. Lullaby

Chapter 12  
  
Lullaby  
  
"Holtz... my God." Angel said.  
  
"You have no god, demon." Holtz replied.  
  
"The Tro-Clon.. the prophecy..raised up from light to bring darkness.. it's you." Holtz just glared at Angel. "Holtz, whatever brought you here.."  
  
"You did." Holtz made a gesture and a neck clamp came from nowhere and attached itself to Angel. It was followed by wrist clamps. They were all held by three grapplers by long poles. "You and your demon bitch. For two hundred years I slept. For two  
  
hundred years I dreamt of nothing but this moment." Holtz laid a sword to Angel's throat.  
  
"Which would explain why you look so well rested."  
  
"You haven't changed." Holtz pulled the sword back.  
  
"Actually, I have. While you were sleeping, a lot changed."  
  
"Really?" Holtz threw Holy Water on Angel's face. It began to burn him like acid and Angel morphed into vamp face for a couple of seconds. "Somehow things seem the same to me."  
  
"You're wrong."  
  
Holtz put the sword back to Angel's throat. "I WILL have justice."  
  
"No. I don't think you will. There is no justice for the things I did to you."  
  
"You didn't do them to me. And you didn't do them alone. Find the female. If he's here, Darla can't be far." Holtz told one of the grapplers. "Or are you going to tell me that's changed, too?"  
  
"Actually.."  
  
  
  
Buffy screamed again.  
  
"Angel's not back with the scrolls yet. I'd feel a lot better if we had the ancient prophecies to guide us." Wes said.  
  
"Please! Women have been giving birth without ancient prophecies for years!" Cordy retorted.  
  
"What we could really use right about now is some Vaseline and a catcher's mitt." Gunn said.  
  
"I don't think she's ready to deliver yet." Fred said.  
  
"We have to go. We can't stay here. It's too exposed. Angel should have been back by now." Wes said.  
  
"Something must have happened." Gunn said.  
  
Willow and Xander held tightly to Buffy's hands. She was trying not to squeeze too hard.  
  
"Just breathe Buffy." Willow said.  
  
"I.. don't.. know.. how." Buffy said.  
  
"What?" Xander asked. "You don't know how to breathe?"  
  
"I.. quit.. lamas.. classes." Buffy screamed. "They were.. cheesy!"  
  
"Now it's up to us to protect Angel's unborn child. Buffy, we're trying to take you out of here. Relax. The breathing goes something like this: heh, heh, heh, hoh, hoh, hoh, heh, heh, heh.."  
  
"I! Quit!" Buffy screamed as she punched Wesley, sending him back into a wall. "AAAANNNNGGGGEEEELLLL!" Buffy sat there and cried. "Ow." She whined.  
  
  
  
Holtz was looking at Angel's swords.  
  
"You're still human. How'd you manage this?" Angel asked, still held by the grips.  
  
"So, the question becomes: now that I have you what's the best way to get her?" Holtz said, putting the sword back.  
  
"Only dark magicks could have brought you this far."  
  
"She was always the trick, you know, not you. Darla was the unpredictable one."  
  
"Was it a demon or something else?"  
  
"What if I just kill you now?" Holtz held a stake to Angel's heart. "Would she somehow sense it? Would she then come running? Would that bring her bursting through those doors, I wonder?"  
  
"Did something come to you, or did you seek it out?"  
  
"She might show herself in the service of revenge. It can be a powerful motivator."  
  
"Yes, it can. What did you have to give up for this second chance?"  
  
"Give up? I had nothing to give up. You saw to that."  
  
"We took a lot from you, that's true. But we didn't get everything. We couldn't take your soul."  
  
"What do you know of a soul?"  
  
"I know yours will be destroyed if you allow yourself to be used in the service of evil. You're a good man, Holtz. A righteous man and you're being used for some purpose other than justice."  
  
"Could it be you really have changed? I don't remember you ever pleading so cravenly before."  
  
"And I remember you used to work with men."  
  
Holtz backhanded Angel across the face.  
  
  
  
"Smack him again." Gunn said.  
  
Cordy smacked Wesley across his cheek.  
  
"Ow." Wes opened his eyes. "That hurts."  
  
"Well, you know what they say: birth.. painful."  
  
"Yes, but generally for the mother, not the bystanders. How long have I been out?"  
  
"Not long, but we seem to be between contractions now." Fred said.  
  
They all looked at Buffy who was sitting in the backseat gesturing and obviously talking to herself despite the fact that Willow and Xander were still in the car with her.  
  
"Yep. She's been doing that." Cordy said.  
  
"Hormones." Gunn said.  
  
"Come on then. Buffy? Buffy, do you feel well enough to travel?" Wesley asked. Buffy nodded a little.  
  
"Good."  
  
"I think it stopped." Buffy said in a little voice.  
  
"What?" Gunn asked.  
  
"It doesn't hurt anymore."  
  
"Those were some pretty heavy screams, girl. Are you sure?"  
  
"I don't know. I want Angel." Buffy said.  
  
"Well.. Buffy.." Willow started, not wanting to get hit.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He's been gone for a while. He.. He may not come back."  
  
"What?" Buffy said. "He.. He has to come back. That hurt and he's supposed to be here."  
  
"Wes, what are you waiting for?" Cordy asked.  
  
"I presume we have a tire iron in the trunk?" Wes asked.  
  
"Yeah, why? We got a flat?" Gunn asked.  
  
"And how about a hurling ax, or some sort of heavy mallet?"  
  
They all looked up and saw a few Grappler demons standing at the opening of the alley.  
  
"Also a shotgun wouldn't be a terrible thing at this juncture."  
  
They all turned and saw that there were more demons at that end of the alley also.  
  
  
  
"Are you still concerned about my soul, Angelus? My vampire priest?" Holtz asked. The door opened and a Grappler demon came in. "Excuse me." He said to Angel. Holtz walked over to the demon to receive the news that the demon had brought. "You've got her? Good. Bring her in."  
  
Angel watched with wide eyes, thinking he had Buffy, or even possibly Darla. But Lilah walked in instead. "Lilah." He said.  
  
"This isn't her." Holtz said. He threw Holy Water on her. "She's not even a vampire."  
  
Lilah wiped her face dry. "No, I'm an attorney."  
  
"Let me guess: dead guys all over my floor.. friends of yours?" Angel asked.  
  
"Look, if I'd known you were torturing him, I wouldn't have interrupted. Please, continue. I'll wait until your finished."  
  
"When I'm finished, he'll be dead." Holtz replied.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"You say you're an attorney. You deal in man's laws, I deal in God's."  
  
"Ah, right. A good guy."  
  
"Do you know what he is?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. Vampire, cursed by gypsies who restored his soul. Destined to atone for centuries of evil, wacky sidekicks, yada, yada. I'd have him killed myself, except the people I work for have this," Lilah made air quotes, "'policy.'"  
  
"Hm."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"What does she mean 'cursed by gypsies?'" Holtz asked Angel.  
  
"Long story, Holtz. I doubt it would interest you much." Angel said.  
  
"How about I go to my car for about twenty seconds? That should give you enough time in here. Then I gotta call some people to clean this mess up. I've got an early staff meeting in the morning." Lilah said.  
  
Angel spotted a grenade on the floor in the hand of a dead man.  
  
"I can't allow you two leave." Holtz said to Lilah.  
  
Angel craned his neck to look at the elevator behind him.  
  
"What do you mean? Of course you can."  
  
"No. You said you work for the law."  
  
Angel put the tip of his shoe under the dead man's open hand.  
  
"No, I didn't. I said I'm a lawyer. I don't care about the law."  
  
"Lilah?" Angel said.  
  
"What?" she asked, turning to him.  
  
"Duck." Angel flipped the grenade up and caught the pin in his mouth. He shook his head and the grenade flew free from the pin. The top came off the grenade as it landed on the floor and exploded a moment later, blasting Angel back and throwing Holtz to the floor.  
  
In all the confusion, Angel took the opportunity to escape through the elevator shafts. He ran back to the alley that he had left his wife and friends at.  
  
  
  
Wes, Gunn, Cordy, and Fred held off the demons while Buffy sat in the car with Willow and Xander arguing with herself again.  
  
"Keep the moving!" Wes called.  
  
"Don't let them get behind you!" Gunn called.  
  
Buffy shook her head and climbed in the driver's seat. While everyone continued to fight, Buffy started the car up and put it in drive.  
  
"Buffy, what are ya doing?" Xander asked.  
  
"This." Buffy drove forward and plowed down two demons. Then, putting it in reverse, she ran over one behind the car. Braking again, she put it in drive and drove right out of the alley.  
  
Angel came up and stood behind the group standing in the alley. He craned his head so he could see over everyone's shoulders. "What are we looking at?" he asked. They all turned and stared at him.  
  
  
  
Buffy drove like crazy. She wanted to get out of there right then and there.  
  
"Buffy, where are we going?" Willow asked from the back seat.  
  
"I don't know. I just want to go somewhere that's away." Buffy replied.  
  
"What about Angel?" Xander asked.  
  
"If he's still alive, he'll find me."  
  
"Where is this away place?"  
  
"Xander, please just shut up!"  
  
"Hey, you kidnapped us. Remember?"  
  
"I didn't kidnap you. You came willingly."  
  
  
  
"Holtz?" Wes asked.  
  
"Yeah." Angel answered.  
  
"The vampire hunter that tracked you and Darla.."  
  
"Through the late seventeen hundreds, yeah."  
  
"Sure it wasn't his great, great, great-grandson?" Gunn asked.  
  
"No, it was him."  
  
"Maybe he's part of what's supposed to rain down ruination upon mankind. The Nyazian Prophecies did say that the Tro-clan was going to be a confluence of events." Fred said.  
  
"And the sudden appearance of an eighteenth century vampire hunter in the twenty first century does seem pretty confluey." Cordy said.  
  
"You think he's here for the baby?"  
  
"I don't think he even knows about it. He didn't even know about Buffy."  
  
"He wouldn't have to. That's the tragic beauty of a cosmic convergence. I.. I mean, he just plays his own small part. He.. he comes here looking for Angel and Darla, and in the process ends up finding Angel's unborn child in Buffy, who, as it turns out, wasn't evil at all as we feared, but was actually meant to be some sort of Messianic figure. But Holtz kills it before it's even born and his vengeance somehow triggers the end of the world!" Fred said, smiling at the others, who just looked at her. "Or not! It could go either way."  
  
"We need to find Buffy before Holtz finds out about her and gets there before we do." Wes said.  
  
"I can find her a lot faster on my own." Angel said.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"If you guys could just find some place safe for her to have this baby, we'll come to you."  
  
"We can do that." Gunn said.  
  
Angel turned to leave, but Cordy called him back.  
  
"Angel! The scrolls, you didn't manage to.."  
  
"No." With that, he was gone.  
  
"I'm sure we'll be fine without them." Wes said.  
  
  
  
"You always did love a view. You even died with one hell of a view." Angel said gently. He had found his car and Willow and Xander sitting in it. They had told him that Buffy had brought them here and that she was on the roof.  
  
"Look at it. Listen to it. Can you smell it? This world. This horrible world. Why would anyone want to bring a baby into it?" Buffy asked sadly.  
  
"To make it better, maybe?"  
  
"Or to destroy it finally."  
  
"Why is it everyone insists on planning my son's future before he's even born?"  
  
"Our son." Buffy walked past Angel.  
  
"Buffy.."  
  
"Angel, I'm not having this baby."  
  
"Okay, not sure you have a lot of choice in the matter.."  
  
"No, I mean I'm not. It wasn't time."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"But it hurt so bad. I've never felt pain like that before. I don't think I ever want to feel pain like that again. Do you know what I'm thinking right now, Angel? I'm thinking the exact same things that I thought the night I came back to this Earth. This is hell."  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
"It is! Why would you want to bring our son into this world? It's so full of pain, death, filth, horror.. Horror cause by humans! September 11th? You remember that? I wasn't here for it, but I saw it happen through the wonderful magic of television. How could anyone do that? I don't want to raise Conner in a world full of evil. And that's what this world has turned into.. evil. I've spent seven years of my life trying to stop evil, but I've been stopping the wrong kind. Humans are the true evil in this world. I don't know what to tell Conner when he asks me why things like September 11th happened. I'll know what to tell him when it comes to demons and vampires, but I won't know what to tell him when he asks about a crime committed by humans. Humans with souls." Buffy was sobbing now.  
  
Angel walked up to her and held her. "Shh."  
  
"I can't do this Angel!"  
  
"Yes you can. You're going to. You're Buffy Anne Summers. You're the strongest person I have ever known."  
  
"No, not when it comes to this!"  
  
"You are. Where would I be without you? I would be on the streets, or I might even be dead. You were my savior. You made me see the world in a different light. You made me become someone. And you're going to help our baby, our son become someone."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You can. And you're not going to do it alone. You have me. You have Dawn, you have your friends, you have everyone that loves you here in LA."  
  
Buffy was silent for a few seconds before she started to sob. She cried so hard that she nearly fell. Angel caught her in his strong arms and held her in place. They stayed there, holding onto each other while Buffy released her frustrations. She did it as she'd always done it: have a breakdown in his arms after a long time of holding it all in and waiting until something would trigger her breakdown.  
  
After a time, Angel's phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and opened it. "Yeah?"  
  
"We found a place." Willow said.  
  
"Is it safe?"  
  
"I'm sure by the time you get here it'll be safe as houses."  
  
Angel closed the phone and put it back in his duster pocket. "Hey Buffy? We should get going. I feel a storm coming. You okay?"  
  
Buffy was holding her stomach now.  
  
"Is it a contraction?"  
  
"No. No, I don't think it is any way. This is my first kid. I've never felt contractions before, unless you count earlier tonight, but instincts say no, it's not."  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"Maybe the hospital wouldn't be such a bad place."  
  
"Come on. I need to get you somewhere safe."  
  
Buffy came willingly with Angel holding her up the whole way down to the car. He helped Buffy sit into the passenger seat, then he climbed in the driver's seat.  
  
"Where are we going?" Willow asked.  
  
"A friends." Angel answered as he revved up the car and shot through the night.  
  
"Buffy, are you gonna be ok?" Xander asked.  
  
"Maybe. Yeah. I should be." Buffy answered a little uncertainly.  
  
"She said that the hospital wasn't looking so bad right now. We'll take her there as soon as we know that it's safe." Angel said.  
  
"Angel, maybe we should go to the hospital now. I mean, even though it is Buffy.. this looks like it's going to be a difficult birth." Willow said.  
  
"It's not time." Buffy said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's not time. Those contractions, I don't know what they were, but they weren't for real."  
  
"You mean you were faking your contractions? That's sick Buff! How could you do that to Angel? You always said he was a good lover." Xander joked.  
  
Buffy stared at him and Angel just rolled his eyes and drove faster.  
  
Willow whacked Xander on the arm and turned to Buffy. "You must have been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions. They're like false labor."  
  
"False? As in not real?" Buffy asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"That's cruel! God Will, they hurt really bad."  
  
"I could tell."  
  
"No, you don't understand. I don' think I can go through with giving birth to this baby if it's going to hurt that bad."  
  
"You can." Angel said. He took her hand and kissed it. 


	13. Lullaby (part 2)

Chapter 13  
  
Lullaby (part 2)  
  
"We're going to go to a karaoke bar?" Xander asked. Angel had just parked the car in front of Caritas.  
  
"It's not what you think."  
  
"It's a bar that does karaoke! How wrong could my thinking be?"  
  
"Ok, yeah it is a karaoke bar. My friend Lorne owns this place."  
  
"The green demon-y guy?"  
  
"Yeah." Angel help Buffy out of the car and they walked to the stairs that led down into the bar. He held her up the whole way down the stairs. "Just a few more steps. That's it. Okay. All right." Everyone came over to Buffy and Angel. "Guys. A chair. Chair."  
  
Wes pulled out a chair for Buffy.  
  
"Geez, what happened?" Gunn asked.  
  
Angel helped Buffy into the chair. "Easy."  
  
"Thanks." Buffy said.  
  
"You're welcome." Cordy answered.  
  
Angel nodded to the men to come over to the corner of the room away from Buffy.  
  
"You gave us quite a scare. But I guess you're used to that, what with being a scary thing and all. You're the slayer, you're a very scary person." Fred said.  
  
"Thanks." Buffy said sarcastically. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I don't know what got into me."  
  
"She's in a lot of pain." Angel said to Lorne, Gunn, Wes, and Xander.  
  
"How frequent are the contractions?" Wes asked.  
  
"That's the thing, they've stopped. Or so Buffy says."  
  
"She was well into the active stage of labor. I don't understand."  
  
"I don't either. She just stopped having them."  
  
"Hey, Willow said something about Baxter Hits!" Xander said.  
  
"You mean Braxton-Hicks?" Wes asked.  
  
"Yeah. That's it."  
  
"But the pain she's experiencing?"  
  
"She said she wants to go back to the hospital." Angel said.  
  
"That's worrying."  
  
"Angel!" Cordy called.  
  
"Buffy? Buffy, what is it?" Angel asked.  
  
She was hunched over her stomach and crying. "Angel."  
  
"Let's get her into my bedroom. Come on." Lorne said.  
  
Xander and Angel helped Buffy up and Lorne led them to his room.  
  
"Easy. Easy now. Come on, sweetheart. We'll get you right in there." Lorne said to Buffy as he moved some things off his bed.  
  
They laid her down and Willow and Wes came in to check on her. Angel stood by the doorway and watched them. After a minute, they came over to him.  
  
"Is she going to be ok?" Angel asked.  
  
"She's tough as nails." Wes said.  
  
"Also a slayer, so that goes in her favor a little." Willow said.  
  
"What about the baby?" Angel asked.  
  
Willow and Wes looked at Buffy and then back at Angel. They led Angel out into the main part of the bar and left Fred with Buffy.  
  
"What? What is it?" Angel asked.  
  
"Angel, I think you need to prepare yourself for the worst if we don't get her to a doctor soon." Wes said.  
  
"No."  
  
"The baby's heartbeat is faint. Very faint. And Buffy's is too. She's starting to show signs of how she was earlier today."  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"We get her to the hospital."  
  
"We can't. It's not safe there."  
  
"Then the baby, and Buffy, could die."  
  
"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, this whole thing has been a miracle, right? You don't just get half a miracle, do you? I mean, the powers, they brought her this far, they protected the baby all this time.."  
  
"We don't know that. We don't know that it's the powers that's been protecting it. Angel, I'm sorry, but what if what Buffy's carrying is the thing in the prophecies? That scourge of mankind that's supposed to plunge the world into ultimate darkness? What if.. what if what's happening to Buffy now, what if that's the powers? Finally stepping up to the plate and doing something for once!" Gunn asked.  
  
"How? By killing my kid and my wife?" Angel walked to Lorne's bedroom and shut the door.  
  
"Do you always have to be so damned honest?" Cordy asked Gunn.  
  
  
  
"Hi. How 're you doing?" Angel asked, sitting in a chair next to the bed.  
  
"He finally stopped kicking." Buffy said weakly.  
  
"Did he?" Angel leaned forward and put his hand on Buffy's belly. "I guess he figured he finally got your attention."  
  
"He's dying. And so am I. Aren't we?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You've never been able to lie very well. I can feel his life slipping away and mine's going with him."  
  
"Then don't let it. You have to fight for this. Please."  
  
"I don't know how. My miracle baby. My little Conner Alexander."  
  
Angel had tears in his eyes as he held Buffy's hand and kissed it. Suddenly there was an explosion just as everyone ran into the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Angel asked.  
  
"We're being attacked!" Wes said.  
  
"Attacked? I thought you had double protection sanctorium spells?"  
  
"I do. It's a thing with the door and the stairs and the world and the thing. Never mind!" Lorne said.  
  
"Apparently you can be outside and shove stuff in." Gunn said.  
  
"I just said that!"  
  
A burning beam came crashing down next to wear Angel and Buffy were standing. Buffy let out a scream.  
  
"It's him." Angel yelled.  
  
"What!? Who?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Come on. We've got to move the bed." Lorne said.  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked, looking Angel in the eyes.  
  
"It's a long story Buffy. One that we don't have time for."  
  
"What's behind the bed?" Xander asked as they pulled out the bed.  
  
"An old loading dock door. I had the whole place converted." Lorne said.  
  
"What's on the other side?" Gunn asked.  
  
"An alley."  
  
"You got an ax, a hammer or anything?"  
  
"Buddha head." Wes said.  
  
"Rhino." Cordy said holding a rhino statue while Wes held a Buddha head.  
  
"Angel! We could use some vampire strength here!" Wes called.  
  
"Cordy, Fred!" Angel said.  
  
The girls went and helped Buffy out while Angel stepped between Wes and Gunn who stepped aside and watched him batter down the wall with his fists and feet.  
  
A back alley lit by Chinese lanterns was revealed when Angel broke through into it from Lorne's bedroom. Wooden shards flew as he enlarged the opening. Cordy stepped through it, followed by Wes, Fred, Gunn and Lorne. Then Angel half carried Buffy through it.  
  
"No. No. Go on. I can't. It doesn't matter anyway." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm not leaving you, alright? Easy. Alright." Angel pulled out his keys and tossed them towards the others. "Go get my car. It's out front." Angel lowered Buffy to the ground and crouched beside her. "I've got you." Cordy came up to them, but Angel waved her away. "Go!"  
  
All of them turned and hurried off, but after a few steps Willow stopped and ran back to crouch beside Angel and Buffy.  
  
"Willow, go with them." Angel said.  
  
"It's okay. They'll come back for us. Besides, Buffy never left me when I was getting off the magicks and I'm not leaving her when she's like this." Willow replied.  
  
Angel took off his jacket and slung it around Willow's shoulders. Then to Buffy he said, "You're gonna be okay."  
  
"No. No, I don't think so." Buffy said.  
  
"Yes it is. When have you ever given up this way Buffy? Never. And you're not giving up now. We're going to get you out of here and into a hospital. I am not going to lose you or the baby."  
  
Buffy stared at him, tears running down her face. "Angel, I don't want to die."  
  
"I know. And you won't. Not now." Angel scooped Buffy up into his arms just as Holtz walked through the flaming hole that Angel had made. He lifted a crossbow and aimed it Angel. Angel just stared back pleadingly at him, holding Buffy tightly to him. Fred handed Angel his jacket and he laid it over Buffy. He looked back at Holtz and they stared at each other for a moment.  
  
"Angel." Buffy said in an almost whisper.  
  
Angel looked down at her. "Shh, it's going to be all right lover. You're going to make it. I'll get you to the hospital." Angel looked back at Holtz.  
  
Angel's car appeared at the mouth of the alley and Wesley got out. Angel looked back at Holtz who lowered his crossbow. Angel looked at him gratefully and carried Buffy out of the alley with Willow moving Buffy's wet, matted hair out of her face.  
  
They reached the car and Willow helped Angel get in with Buffy still in his arms. Gunn drove Angel's car while Wesley, Lorne, and Fred followed in Wes's car. All the way, Angel rocked Buffy in his arms, telling her that everything was going to be ok while Cordy was on Angel's cell phone calling the hospital to have them ready when Angel arrived with Buffy.  
  
Gunn pulled up to the hospital with a screeching halt. He opened the door for Angel to get out and stepped out of the way. Angel bolted out of the backseat and into the emergency room. Two doctors rushed up to them with a gurney and Angel gently laid her on it. Buffy wasn't registering any of it. Her eyes were half closed and what Angel could see of them was glazed over. The only signs that she was alive were her breathing and the faint beat of her heart that Angel listened to. He clung to that with all his hope. That one sound of life coming from his beloved.  
  
  
  
Buffy laid in a hospital bed four days later. She was still sick, but things were looking much better. She had had small case pneumonia and a severely high fever. The baby was doing fine. The doctors had called it a miracle. Conner's heartbeat had picked up with the drugs they had given him through Buffy and he only had a minor cold. Angel had had Buffy transferred to Sunnydale Medical Center the day before. She had complained about missing home to him when she was still deep in her fever a couple of days ago and Angel knew that she wasn't being delusional.  
  
Now he sat with her in her private room on the fourth floor of the maternity ward. She was arguing with the nurse that the hospital food was making her sick and she wanted some real food. The only thing she would eat out of the food they brought her was the Jello. The nurse left in a huff and Buffy turned back to Angel.  
  
"You're not helping either." Buffy said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You! You're supposed to be the young, hot husband that sneaks in food to his sick and pregnant wife."  
  
"I'm not young."  
  
"No, but you look it."  
  
"I sent Xander out to get you some food from the bakery on Main Street."  
  
"You're a god."  
  
"No, just a vamp."  
  
Buffy sighed.  
  
"So, you really don't remember anything that happened after we got to Caritas?" Angel asked.  
  
"No. I blanked out. I was so sick that I was out of my mind up on that rooftop. The last thing I remember was Xander saying something about something about faking my contractions."  
  
"That's just before you hunched over and gripped your stomach."  
  
"Yup. Why? Did I miss something?"  
  
"A little. Nothing you need to worry about."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive. Right now I want you to concentrate on getting better. We miss you at home."  
  
"You haven't been home at all the past four days."  
  
"Nope. But I know they miss you."  
  
There was a knock on the door and the two looked over to find Tara standing there.  
  
"Hey Buffy. Hi Angel." Tara said.  
  
"Tara!" Buffy said. "Hey."  
  
Tara hugged Buffy. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Better. I'm ready to go home. I'll have to be here again next month anyways." Tara smiled.  
  
"So, where's Willow? I figured she'd be with you now that you two are back together."  
  
"Oh, she, uh, she had class. I told her I was going to come here and she said that it was fine. She'll be by later."  
  
"I'm surprised you two even made it out of bed."  
  
"Me too."  
  
The two girls laughed.  
  
Xander walked in with a huge bulge in his jacket. "Hey there Buff!"  
  
"Hey." Buffy said.  
  
"Hey Xander, when did you get so fat?" Tara asked.  
  
"Ha ha." Xander unzipped his coat and pulled out a bag. "It's for milady here."  
  
"Thank you kind sir." Buffy said taking the bag from him. "What'd ya bring me?"  
  
"Croissants, a muffin, and a jelly donut."  
  
"No drink?"  
  
Xander pulled a diet coke out of his pocket and handed it to her.  
  
"God bless you."  
  
"Thank you." Xander took a bow.  
  
"How are you doing?" Tara asked Xander.  
  
"I've been better. I haven't seen Anya in a while. Actually I haven't seen her since.."  
  
"Since the wedding."  
  
"What wedding? I destroyed her dream day because I was a coward. I was so determined to be like Buffy and Angel here and then I saw my parents and all I could think was 'that's going to be me.' I couldn't hurt her like that. That demon showing me a future that I was afraid of didn't help either."  
  
"Ah Xand. You'll figure out a way to fix it. Don't worry about it." Buffy said.  
  
"Maybe." He looked at Angel. "Hey Angel, you're quiet."  
  
"Just watching you guys." Angel said.  
  
"He's been quiet for four days." Buffy said. "I'm beginning to worry."  
  
"No. Don't worry Buffy. You need to get better and one reason you're sick is because you worried too much and that put too much stress on you."  
  
"Hey! Slow down. You'd've suffocated yourself if you'd needed oxygen." Buffy said. "Don't worry ok. I was kidding."  
  
"Whew, can we say wound up tight?" Xander said.  
  
"Has anyone called Giles and told him you're in the hospital?" Tara asked.  
  
"Now that you mention it, no." Angel said.  
  
"Maybe we should."  
  
"Anyone have his number?" Xander asked.  
  
"It's at home." Buffy said.  
  
"I'll go get it." Xander said. "For I am Xander the running man. Not to be confused with the movie where they're all running from psychotic killers in costumes." With that Xander was gone.  
  
They waited there for about thirty minutes before Xander returned.  
  
"Here it is." Xander said. He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Buffy.  
  
Angel handed her the phone and she dialed the number. After a few minutes of many rings, Giles picked up.  
  
"Hello?" he asked groggily.  
  
"Giles?" Buffy said.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Hi. Were you asleep? Cause if you were I can call later."  
  
"No, no it's fine. Is everything all right?"  
  
"It's been better."  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I'm in the hospital for one thing."  
  
"Buffy! How long have you been there?"  
  
"Four days. Well, actually I've been here for two days, but I was in critical care in LA. Angel had me transferred here yesterday because I was getting homesick."  
  
"What's wrong? Is the baby ok?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah! Conner's fine. Better than me even."  
  
"What's wrong with you then?"  
  
"Well, five days ago Wesley called a meeting to tell us about something he found in the Nyazian scrolls."  
  
"Wesley has the Nyazian scrolls?"  
  
"Yeah. Why?"  
  
"I've never seen them before. They were believed to be lost."  
  
"Well, they played a great game of hide and go seek. Anyways, there's a prophecy about a vampire slayer and the vampire with a soul, or the two warriors of light, to come together and make one. Then he tells us that our baby may be evil. Angel said that we might have to destroy Conner and I got upset and went upstairs. He came up to apologize, I yelled, I fainted, I got put in the hospital. Then, there was this cult that wanted to worship my baby after they ate my eyeballs and wore my guts as party hats at the hospital and we ran away from them. Angel went to get the scrolls for Wesley, I had Tony Braxton contractions.."  
  
"Braxton-Hicks contractions."  
  
"Whatever. Anyways, we got attacked by demons, I took off in Angel's car, went to a rooftop to hide, Angel found me, we talked, he took me away and that's all I remember. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital."  
  
"You never said what was wrong with you."  
  
"Oh! Fred's rubbing off on me."  
  
"Fred?"  
  
"A friend. Anyway, I had a minor case of pneumonia, I was dehydrated, and I had a severe fever. Conner has a minor cold."  
  
"You're fine now, right?"  
  
"Oh yeah, the doctor said I should be able to get out of here by tomorrow night, early Saturday morning."  
  
"That's wonderful to hear. Is everything else ok?"  
  
"Oh yeah! It's peachy."  
  
"Is Angel there?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"May I.."  
  
"Speak to him? Sure!" She handed the phone to Angel.  
  
"Hello?" Angel said.  
  
"Hello Angel. How are you?"  
  
"At this very moment? Um, completely relieved."  
  
"I can only imagine. What happened when Buffy blacked out?"  
  
"I took her to Caritas, a friend of mine's karaoke bar, and we were attacked by someone and I got her out of there and to the hospital."  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
"Tell me about it!"  
  
"Yes, well."  
  
"I'll let you talk to Buffy again."  
  
"All right. Goodbye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Buffy took the phone. "Well, I'm going to go. The nurse just came in to check up on me. I'll talk to you later?"  
  
"Yes. Goodbye Buffy."  
  
"Bye Giles." Buffy hung up the phone. "Now that that's over with."  
  
Angel just smiled at her. 


	14. Waiting in the Wings

Chapter 14  
  
Waiting in the Wings  
  
"Now I'm all superhero-y and the best action I can get is an invisible ghost who's good with the Loohfah." Cordy was saying.  
  
"I'm sorry. I missed that last part." Wes said.  
  
"You are a gentleman."  
  
"Who's doing what with the Loofah?" Angel asked. He and Buffy had just walked in and Angel had a huge smile on his face.  
  
"Not Loofah, Looh-fah. Nooctm... Skumth. It's a demon." Wes said, a little flustered.  
  
"So, you went with the dark clothes today." Cordy said to Buffy and Angel who were both dresses mainly in black.  
  
"Ask me why I'm smiling."  
  
"Please ask him. It's a little unnerving." Buffy said.  
  
"I will, because it's scaring me too." Cordy said.  
  
"We are stepping out." Angel said, pulling tickets out of his pocket.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"You'll see." Angel led Buffy up the stairs and to their room.  
  
Buffy stopped on the second floor overlooking the lobby. "Cordy?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did Dawn go to bed?"  
  
"Yup. She's two rooms down from you."  
  
"The luxury sweet?"  
  
"You know it."  
  
"See you tomorrow Cordy!"  
  
"Bye." Cordy shut off the lights downstairs and headed towards the door with a wave. Buffy took Angel's outstretched hand and they went to their room to get some sleep.  
  
  
  
"Morning friends and neighbors. Ooh, are those the tickets? You got 'em?" Gunn asked, coming into the lobby with Fred. "Oh, and French toast."  
  
"We can thank Buffy for the food." Cordy said, putting a forkful in her mouth.  
  
"I had a craving, Angel fulfilled it." Buffy said. They all stared at her. "For food."  
  
"Want some? I made plenty." Angel said.  
  
"No, I already ate." Gunn said.  
  
"Fred?"  
  
"Me too." Fred said.  
  
"So.. tickets." Gunn said.  
  
"Well, I got to the ticket place and.." Angel started.  
  
"I'm paying you back. This one's on me. Mahta Hari is the tightest band in LA. You guys are gonna be trippin' out."  
  
"The only thing is.."  
  
"Look, I said I'm good for it, man. Don't have to worry about dippin' in the Conner college fund." Gunn took the tickets from Angel. "The time I saw the Mahta Hari at the Troubadour they where the." He read the tickets, "Blinnikov World Ballet Tour. What's going on?"  
  
"I was trying to tell you. I got to the ticket place and boom! Tonight only!"  
  
"But you got ballet on my Mahta Hari tickets?"  
  
"This is the Blinnikov World Ballet Corps."  
  
"He's been saying that like it has meaning." Buffy said. "Entertain him."  
  
"This is one of the premier companies in the world. And they're doing Giselle! It's their signature piece."  
  
"This is all like some horrible dream." Gunn said.  
  
"I think I've heard of them. Very ahead of their time." Wes said putting his plastic plate in the garbage can with the rest of them.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I saw their production of Giselle in eighteen-ninety. I cried like a baby. And I was evil!" Angel said.  
  
"I.. I think it sounds exciting." Fred said.  
  
"Yes." Wes agreed.  
  
"No. No! This is not Mahta Hari. This is tutus, and guys with their big- ass packages jumping up and down. This is just.. I will never trust you again. The trust is gone." Gunn said to Angel.  
  
"Oh, get over it. Do we get dressed up?" Cordy asked.  
  
"Of course." Angel said.  
  
"I'm in."  
  
"Guys, seeing real ballet live it's.. it's like another world. Gunn, these guys are tight, and you're gonna be trippin' out."  
  
"Don't be usin' my own phrases when we lost the trust." Gunn replied.  
  
"Come on, guys. Working day, cases to solve." Cordy interjected.  
  
"Okay. But I'm not still paying, right. Because this is.. this is.. It's like a nightmare."  
  
"I think it'll be fun." Buffy said.  
  
"You're just taking his side cause you're married to him. And didn't you go with him?"  
  
"Yeah. There was no stopping him when he saw the ad for it. Sorry Gunn. I still love you. Trust?"  
  
"Yeah. There's still trust here, girl. Don't worry about it. Where's littlest Summers?"  
  
"Right here." Dawn came out of the kitchen with a plate stacked with four pieces of French toast drenched in syrup and butter.  
  
"Damn Dawn!"  
  
"That's her second plate." Buffy said.  
  
"I'll say it again with more feeling. Damn Dawn!"  
  
"My brother-in-law can cook. What else can I do?" Dawn said.  
  
"You and Fred are the biggest eaters I have ever seen!"  
  
"Thank you." Fred and Dawn said together. Fred had gone and gotten a plate of French toast too.  
  
  
  
Lorne was helping him fix his tux while Buffy was in another room getting dressed. She had wanted to surprise him with the dress she had bought.  
  
"We got a little term back in Pylea. Kyrumption?" Lorne said.  
  
"I know it." Angel replied.  
  
"Okay. When two great heroes come together.."  
  
"Lorne, we're going to the ballet. There will be no coming together."  
  
"Can't fight Kyrumption, cinnamon buns. It's fate. It's the stars. Kyrumption is.."  
  
"Stop saying that. And stop calling me pastries."  
  
"You're a man of many limitations, Angel. But you're a man. You got a heart. And Buffy is a hell of a lady. I mean, if I thought she'd like to wear green, I'd be elbowing you out of the way. But she's out of my league. She's a champion, Angel, old school."  
  
"Lorne, Buffy, she's.."  
  
"She's what?" Buffy asked, coming into the room.  
  
"I..I was just saying that you're not much of an ballet fan." Angel said. He couldn't help but gape at Buffy. She was gorgeous. She was wearing a dress very similar to what she wore the first time she ever died. The only difference was the satin under the chiffon was all the way to the ground. "You.. you look like.."  
  
"Like a ballet fan? An aficionado? A devotee, in fact?" Buffy reached up to adjust Angel's bow tie. "Tonight I've decided that we don't have to be our incredibly dreary selves. Tonight we're just a couple of young sophisticates enjoying an evening of classical dance. How does that sound?"  
  
"Sounds just right."  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
"Yeah. Is Dawn coming?"  
  
"Yes. She's waiting downstairs with everyone else."  
  
"Well, let's go." Angel held his arm out for Buffy and Buffy slipped her arm through. They walked to the stairs, Lorne not too far behind even though he wasn't going. They heard Gunn and the others talking.  
  
"Yes. Isn't she a vision." Wes said.  
  
"A lot of that going around." Gunn said.  
  
"Thank you, but no thank you. There will be no visions tonight." Cordy said.  
  
"How can you be sure?" Angel asked. They all looked up at them.  
  
"Buffy, you look absolutely marvelous." Gunn said.  
  
"Thank you." Buffy said taking Gunn's hand he offered to help her down the stairs.  
  
"I had a vision." Cordy said as Wes draped his coat over her shoulders.  
  
"Oh." Angel said.  
  
"Let's go then!" Angel said. He held his arms out for Buffy to take again and Dawn to take. "Shall we?"  
  
"We shall." Buffy replied.  
  
  
  
Thirty minutes later they were entering the lobby of the theatre and headed towards their seats. Fred and Dawn looked around excitement. They all sat down, Wes, Cordy, Fred and Gunn sitting together in one row Angel, Buffy, and Dawn sitting in the row just behind them.  
  
"Sorry they're not closer. Getting seven seats together.." Angel said.  
  
"Don't be silly. Best place. We get the whole panorama from here." Wes said.  
  
"Besides, back here we stand less chance of setting off the 'under seventy' alarm." Dawn said.  
  
"Back in the day I'd always get box seats. Or I'd just eat the people who had 'em." Angel said to Buffy.  
  
"Don't lets-reminisce. We're here. Enjoy." Buffy said.  
  
Below them, the curtain opened and the show began. After a while, Gunn sat forward in his seat intent on the whole thing. Cordy was asleep. She was snoring lightly on Wes's arm. Dawn leaned her head on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy held Angel's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. Fred watched the whole thing with awe and Wes watched her in awe. The whole time, Angel's frown grew deeper.  
  
The act came to an end and Gunn flew to his feet. "Bravo! Bravo!"  
  
Cordy jerked awake. "I love it!"  
  
"It's just intermission." Angel said.  
  
"Oh." Cordy wiped her face.  
  
"Bravo! Bravo!" Gunn continued.  
  
The group got up and walked out into the lobby.  
  
"I say it once, and gloat all you want: these guys are tight, and I am trippin' out." Gunn said.  
  
"They certainly live up to their reputation. Has the choreography changed much since.." Wes started.  
  
"No. Nothing's changed." Angel said.  
  
"Well, it's wonderful they're able to.."  
  
"No. I mean, nothings changed. These are the same dancers I saw before."  
  
"That's impossible. We're watching the exact same troupe you saw in nineteen-ninety?" Fred said.  
  
"I think he said eighteen-ninety." Gunn said.  
  
"Oh. Ok, that's much more impossible."  
  
"So, somebody wanna tell me how we're watching a show starring people who should have died sixty years ago?" Angel asked.  
  
"Well, it's a puzzler. Are there snacks?" Cordy asked.  
  
"So what are we thinking? Vampires?" Dawn asked.  
  
"Well, they're not a deeply tanned bunch."  
  
"That would explain the precision and the athleticism. I mean, some of those jumps were.." Gunn said. He saw the others looking at him. "You know, I was cool before I met you all."  
  
"Dancing vampires. Who's not scared?" Cordy said.  
  
"Not it. I'd know. I'd sense it." Angel said.  
  
"Even all the way back there.. with the panoramic view?" Wes asked.  
  
"I'd be able to sense it too. So they are definitely not vampires." Buffy said.  
  
"We should check it out." Angel said.  
  
"Maybe after the show we should head backstage?" Fred asked.  
  
"I was thinking now. You guys should go back. I'll snoop."  
  
"I'm with snoopy. The magic of the ballet not really getting to me to me anymore." Buffy said.  
  
"Go." Angel said to the others.  
  
"Hurry." Gunn said.  
  
Buffy and Angel headed off towards the stairs that led to backstage. They descended and found a big security guard standing in front of the doors.  
  
"Check out the zeppelin." Buffy said.  
  
"Awful lot of muscle for a ballet company." Angel replied.  
  
"You want, I could distract him? Make with the nice, nice while you slip by?"  
  
"Don't be stupid. I'm that guy and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen is making eyes at me? It's either bachelor party or a scam."  
  
"What did you just call me?"  
  
"I'm sorry. You're not stupid."  
  
"No. After that."  
  
"I think I'll just have to go with our patented sudden burst of violence."  
  
"Hey, hold on. I think I might have an approach that is a little more subtle." Buffy walked up to the guard. "Hey, do you like bribes?"  
  
"Do I ever!" the guard said.  
  
"Well, we REALLY wanna go backstage." Buffy said, handing him some money.  
  
"Yeah, okay, but this isn't so much a bribe as it is a tip. And since I'm not parking your car, there's really no way that.." The guard was cut off when Angel clocked him.  
  
"Ok, that's how we do it." Angel said.  
  
They walked through the door. "Okay. You saw the building as we drove by. Do you remember it going on forever?" They stared at a corridor that stretched on without so much as an ending anywhere in sight.  
  
"It's clearly a spell, or a time flux, or something. I don't think we wanna be rushing in here."  
  
"Well, lets get the others and talk options."  
  
Buffy and Angel turned around to find that the door was gone.  
  
"Works in theory." Angel said deadpan.  
  
"Ok, so.. I'm guessing we explore?"  
  
"Have to." Angel started to walk, then stopped. "Why did I let you come with me?"  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You're beginning your ninth month and I'm letting you come on a dangerous adventure."  
  
"Angel. I think I'm going to be ok. Something has been protecting this baby from day one."  
  
"I only meant: what if you go into labor here? There's not exactly a doctor around here, I don't know how to deliver a baby, and we all remember what happened with the fake contractions."  
  
"Angel. I'll be fine."  
  
They started to walk again. Soon they came to a door that caught their attention. They opened it up and walked inside.  
  
"This is her dressing room." Angel said.  
  
"The prima ballerina." Buffy said.  
  
"It's unchanged."  
  
Buffy sat down at the dressing table and looked at a necklace with a cross on it. "She would wait for him here."  
  
"It's warm. It's very warm."  
  
"I feel it." Buffy turned to him.  
  
"Something happened here."  
  
"Angel?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I want you.. to undress me."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"It's just another costume. I want you to see who I really am. You're the only one who can."  
  
"I.. This isn't us. Buffy," Angel licked his lips, "we're acting this out. Someone is.."  
  
"Whoa! Did.. did I actually just ask you to undress me?"  
  
"Is that what you want?"  
  
"Please.. I.."  
  
"You want me to make love to you right here?"  
  
"You know I do."  
  
"But you're afraid." Angel whispered as he caressed Buffy's cheek.  
  
"What if he finds us?"  
  
"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything."  
  
"I'm only alive when you're inside me."  
  
They started to kiss passionately. Suddenly there was a hiss and Buffy and Angel jumped apart.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"No. We so need to be out of here."  
  
"Yes."  
  
They started to breath hard and move towards each other.  
  
"This isn't out of here." Buffy said.  
  
"I know. Right."  
  
They started to move towards the door, on the verge of another kiss. Buffy turned her back to Angel and snaked an arm around his neck.  
  
"Open the damn door." Buffy said.  
  
"Kinda hard."  
  
"Kinda noticed."  
  
Never losing his touch on Buffy, Angel got his hand to the door and turned the knob. The broke apart and headed through the doorway. Angel slammed the door shut.  
  
"Whoa!" Buffy said.  
  
"That's a fair assessment." Angel said.  
  
"What the hell is that place?"  
  
"There's spirits in there. Energy trapped in time. It took us over."  
  
"Yee. Scary. Well, it's a good thing it wears off right away."  
  
"Yeah. Good thing." Angel took his jacket off and laid it across his arm as they started to walk.  
  
"How was that bad?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're married. We've done stuff kinda like that on a regular basis. How was that bad?"  
  
"Wasn't. I was just.. I don't know."  
  
"Well, the last time we were possessed by spirits, we kinda fixed things for them."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Are you sure this is the way?"  
  
"I'm sure it's A way. Place is a maze. I'm just hoping there's another room. We can just go.."  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said something. Back in that room. Something important. Do you remember?"  
  
"Um, you.. you're only alive when I.. I'm.."  
  
"Not that!"  
  
"No. Of course. I.. I was just.. Oh. Hey! I said you were afraid."  
  
"And I said, what if he finds us?"  
  
"She had a secret lover."  
  
"They were afraid of someone. And I'll bet you anything that someone is the reason why we're stuck here! We left too soon."  
  
"We.. who? The room?"  
  
"It's a clue! Those spirits or.. or energy or.. or whatever are still in there. So we can figure out what happened. We have to go back in!"  
  
"I don't know. What if it ends bad, like the last time, and one of us ends up dead?"  
  
"All you got was shot! You wanna wander around backstage like Spinal Tap for the next.. ever?"  
  
"I'm sure there are other rooms that.."  
  
"All we have to do is play the scene. Get in, get out."  
  
"What if there is no more talking in that scene?"  
  
"Well, I've got my little cross if things get out of hand."  
  
"Sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
They headed back towards the room and went in. They walked back to where it had all started and stood there.  
  
"Anything coming?" Angel asked after a few minutes.  
  
"Um.." Buffy paced in a little circle around Angel. "Ok. Let's take it from the middle. I want you to undress me."  
  
"You want me to have sex now with you here?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm scared."  
  
"But you're afraid."  
  
"And afraid. What if we.. he.. finds us?"  
  
Angel took Buffy's shoulders and gently pulled her forward towards him. "Well, I'm not afraid of anything."  
  
"Only good inside, blah, blah, blah.." Buffy looked up at Angel and shrugged. She reached up and kissed him.  
  
"Maybe it only works the one time. You know, when the energy.."  
  
Angel didn't get to finish. Buffy pulled his head down into a fiery kiss. She dropped the cross necklace behind Angel's back.  
  
He moved her back towards the couch and gently laid he down. Angel gently laid kisses all over her neck.  
  
"This is wrong." Buffy said.  
  
"Hush."  
  
"You don't know him. He has power."  
  
"The power to do this?"  
  
Buffy gasped, took a deep breath, and another.  
  
"Stephan, his power is unnatural. He could..."  
  
"What? Kill us?"  
  
"Worse."  
  
"Kurskov owns the company. He doesn't own you."  
  
"He doesn't know that. He thinks I'm his." Buffy sat up as a Russian accent entered her speech. "That I dance for him. He is nothing but a deluded fan. He thinks I love him."  
  
"Come away with me. Now. Tonight. We'll disappear. Even he won't find us."  
  
"I.. Stephan, everything I worked for is here."  
  
"You can still dance."  
  
"Can I? I don't.. Not yet. Maybe when we're.."  
  
"Don't. Don't make promises."  
  
"Help me. Help me be not afraid."  
  
She sank back onto the lounge and Angel went back to kissing her neck. After a while, the top of Buffy's dress ended up at her waist and Angel made his way south with kisses.  
  
"Oh, no!" Buffy sat up "Oh, no!"  
  
Angel sat up just in time to get knocked to the floor by a person in a gray 'comedy' mask. 


	15. Waiting in the Wings (part 2)

Chapter 15  
  
Waiting in the Wings (part 2)  
  
Buffy peered over the top of the lounge couch to find another monster in a 'tragedy' mask as the first one hit Angel again. She grabbed the straps of her dress and pulled them back over her shoulders.  
  
"Okay. So. They were probably interrupted by this Count Kurskov, or his lackeys, right? So we're done with the.." Buffy started. Angel came charging at her and Buffy shot her hands up over her face to shield herself as Angel launched himself over her and tackled the tragedy monster.  
  
Buffy stood up and released a sharp side kick at the comedy monster. The thing went flying back. Buffy started to throw everything she could find at the monsters. The comedy monster pulled out a sword and started to slash at Buffy.  
  
"A little help!" Buffy called.  
  
The tragedy monster pulled out a dagger and stabbed Angel in the heart.  
  
"Thank you." Angel said. He pulled out the dagger and punched the monster in the chin. The thing fell to the floor and Angel stabbed it through the heart with its sword at the same time throwing the dagger at the comedy monster, stabbing it through the throat.  
  
"You alright?" Angel asked.  
  
"Yeah. We gotta move."  
  
Angel looked from one monster to the other. "You think they're not dead?"  
  
"You just looked really hot doing that."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Buffy nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"Run."  
  
Angel grabbed Buffy's hand and they ran out of the room. Buffy grabbed the sword from one of the monsters as they headed out. They rounded a corner and found Fred, Gunn, Cordy, and Dawn standing from behind a crate.  
  
"You guys alright?" Angel asked.  
  
"Charles got stabbed." Fred said.  
  
"Yeah. A couple stitches worth." Gunn said as Cordy checked his wound out.  
  
"The same guys attacked us." Buffy said.  
  
"Any idea where we are or what the hell?"  
  
"Yeah. Buffy and I hit kind of a mystical hotspot back in one of the dressing rooms." Angel said.  
  
"Well, it seems the prima ballerina had a lover back in the day. And there was this Count Kurskov, who owned the company, and I guess he had a thing for the girl and they were mightily afraid of him." Buffy said.  
  
"He had powers of some kind."  
  
"He was a wizard." Wesley said. The all turned to find him standing on the threshold of one of the corridors archways, a sword carried loosely by his side. "He was obsessed with the girl. When he found her with the other man, he went insane with jealous rage, pulled her out of time out of any reality beyond his theater, his company. He swore she would dance for him forever."  
  
"How do you.." Dawn asked.  
  
"I, uh, I hit a hot spot too."  
  
"And now we're stuck here?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Well, ah, this kind of temporal shift can't just exist. It has to be maintained. That requires power and concentration. If we can overload him somehow, we might be able to slip back to the real world."  
  
"The man with the plan!"  
  
"Well, I'd imagine THAT requires some energy."  
  
They all turned to where Wes was indicating to find one of the monsters slowly getting up, begin to shake, then split in two, one wearing a tragedy mask and sobbing, the other wearing a comedy mask and laughing. Angel grabbed them both in a headlock under each arm and broke both their necks. As soon as they hit the floor they started shivering and splitting, each into a new pair of theater minions.  
  
"The more we kill, the more he makes." Fred said.  
  
"Look!" Cordy said.  
  
For a moment the wall of the corridor wavered, revealing another reality behind it.  
  
"And that is draining his energy. Angel, Buffy, try and find a way to the stage. The count will be watching." Wes said.  
  
"Cordy, take care of Dawn. Don't let her out of your site." Buffy said.  
  
"I will." Cordy said.  
  
Angel and Buffy started to walk away, Angel muttering under his breath, "I bet he has a box." and Buffy smacking him for saying it.  
  
They walked for a little while, the walls flickering around them. Finally, Buffy got agitated and punched at one when it flickered. Her hand went through and she popped it right back against her side. Angel and Buffy looked at each other for a moment then turned back to the wall. The next time it flickered, they jumped through and landed in the wings off the stage. They saw the ballerina standing there, watching from just off stage, waiting, at the same time the ballerina also came dancing off the stage, her image shivering and dissolving as she passed from the view of the theater audience.  
  
"Hello?' Buffy said.  
  
The ballerina whipped her head around to stare at them. "Who are you? There's no one.. You're new." She said in a Russian accent.  
  
"I'm pretty old, actually." Angel said, slowly walking closer. "I've seen you dance."  
  
"Everyone sees me."  
  
"It was Giselle then, as well."  
  
"Always."  
  
Buffy looked past the ballerina and saw Kurskov up in his box. Buffy grabbed Angel's arm and he looked at where she was staring.  
  
"I know what's happening. Count Kurskov, he's punishing you." Buffy said.  
  
"He made me. He owns me. And when I dance it is only for him." The ballerina said.  
  
Beside them, the air shivered as a row of dancers materialized and passed out onto the stage.  
  
"Do you believe that?"  
  
"It really doesn't matter. I'll dance. I'll wait here. And then I'll dance again. That's all."  
  
"A hundred years doing the same piece every night. Is that enough? What about Stephan?"  
  
"I waited too long. I should have gone when he asked me, I should have disappeared, but.. I wanted this. This dance, this.. I hesitated and.. I lost everything that mattered. Now all I do is wait."  
  
"You dance." Angel said.  
  
"There is a section in the first act, during the courtship dance, where my foot slips. My ankle's turned and.. and I don't quite hold every time. He doesn't notice. He doesn't even know ballet that well. But always, at that same moment, I slip. It isn't just the same ballet. It's the same performance. I don't dance. I echo. Please, can you make it stop?"  
  
"I know the feeling." Buffy said. "On both accounts." The ballerina and Angel stared at her "I'll explain later."  
  
Angel looked at the two girls then put his hand towards the stage and it vanished from view in mid-air. "I can help you. But you have to do something."  
  
"What?" the ballerina asked.  
  
"Change the ending. Dance something new."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"He doesn't control all this. He's losing it. But you have to take the stage. It's not too late. You can change things."  
  
The ballerina looked from Buffy and Angel to the stage. She slowly stepped towards the stage, looking back at them once, then went out and began to dance around the lead dancer, lying stretched out in the middle of the stage, as the rest of the company left the stage. She raised her head from bowing down over the fallen body to look towards Buffy and Angel, waiting in the wings, then stepped back and struck a different pose. Up in his box, Kurskov jumped up out of his chair.  
  
"No!" he yelled.  
  
As the ballerina began to dance again, the body of the lead dancer shivered and dissolved. The ballerina stopped, holding a pose, and looked up defiantly at Kurskov's box. Buffy and Angel ran out onto the stage and with two great leaps, landed in Kurskov's box. Angel grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him close.  
  
"Hey, where is your power center?" Angel asked.  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
"I'll guess." Angel smashed the jewel in the center of the Russian cross- shaped medal hanging around Kurskov's neck.  
  
A wave of blue light raced out, washing over the ballerina on the stage, washing over the minions attacking the gang. Gunn stopped in mid-swing to look around as his sword, the minions and the corridor dissolved into a modern day back stage room.  
  
On the stage the ballerina looked up at Buffy and Angel. Buffy gave her a slight nod and she sank down, folding her body on top of her outstretched leg, in something like a deep bow, before she dissolved away.  
  
"You have no right." Kurskov said.  
  
"Oh, save it!" Buffy said.  
  
"She was my love. She danced only for me!"  
  
"Yeah. You love her that much?" Angel hauled back and clocked Kurskov on the chin, dropping him to the floor. "Start a website." Angel took Buffy's hand and they left the box.  
  
They caught up with the gang out in the lobby and they headed back to the Hyperion. Wes went to his office and took out a first aid kit. Gunn followed and allowed Wes to work on his wound. Fred went in and sat in front of Gunn. They watched each other and smiled.  
  
Angel was watching them out in the lobby. He turned away, a slight smile on his face as he walked to where Buffy sat with Dawn laying on her head in Buffy's lap. Cordy was brushing at her dress by the counter.  
  
"Do you think I can still return it? Because otherwise we're gonna have to take on a lot more cases." Cordy said.  
  
"Buffy?" Angel said.  
  
She looked up at him. "Yeah?"  
  
"You said you knew how the ballerina felt. What did you mean?"  
  
"I used to dance too. I had to if I wanted to ice skate the way I used to. I liked it at first, but after a while I came to hate it because it was the same routine day in and day out and it got to where it was bruising my feet and killing my knees. All I wanted to do was skate. My dad wouldn't let me quit ballet though. He said that it wasn't going to be a waste of his money. Mom talked to him, but he wouldn't have any of it. He said if I really wanted to quit ballet, then I would have to quit skating too. He knew that I wouldn't ever give THAT up, so I continued ballet. I was so unhappy. It got so bad that I would come home and just cry. Finally, when I was about nine, I was so unhappy that I just gave up ice skating so I could stop ballet."  
  
"You never told me. That picture of you in our room, the one where you're smiling and holding your little trophy, you look so happy."  
  
"That's back when I was happy. I was about five in that picture. It was about two years before I really began to hate ballet."  
  
"You never told me."  
  
"You never asked."  
  
"So that's why you said that ballet wasn't getting to you anymore."  
  
"Yup. And then feeling how that ballerina felt when we were, uh.." Buffy looked down at Dawn. "..investigating.. how scared she was. I just wanted to help her."  
  
Angel put his arm around Buffy's shoulders and kissed her. She smiled. "Are you happy now?"  
  
"Ecstatically!" she said with a laugh.  
  
"I think you really.."  
  
"Gru?" Cordy said.  
  
"Well yeah. I was going to tell her that. Thanks Cor."  
  
Cordy ran past them, not listening. "Gru!"  
  
"Princess!"  
  
They all turned to see the Groosalug coming down the stairs and catch Cordy in a tight hug and swing her around.  
  
"Oh god! I can't believe it." Cordy cried.  
  
"I feared you'd forget who I was."  
  
"Remind me."  
  
The two kissed.  
  
Lorne came to stand next to Buffy and Angel, who were now standing and staring. "He just showed up. Apparently once everyone in Pylea got their freedom, the political situation got a little sketchy. The Groosalug here got deposed and they set up some kind of People's Republic. So, he came looking for his true love."  
  
"Huh. That's good for her." Angel said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm going to take Dawn up to bed. She's knocked out cold. Only not literally."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Angel picked up Dawn and carried her to the luxury suit. Then, he and Buffy went back to their room. Angel got in his silk boxers as Buffy changed into one of Angel's oversized shirts. They climbed in bed and Angel laid his head on Buffy's stomach to listen to Conner move around.  
  
As Buffy's stroked Angel's hair, she asked, "Who's Gru?" 


	16. Couplet

Chapter 16  
  
Couplet  
  
"It's strange." Angel said.  
  
"Hmm?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I remember him being taller."  
  
They were still lying in bed an hour later. Angel had explained Gru to Buffy and why he had called Cordy 'Princess.'  
  
"A trick of the light. They don't actually get smaller until they're very, very old." Buffy said.  
  
"Did he seem, uh, I don't know short?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely. He's nothing but a muscley midget. I'm sure once Cordelia gets him home, she'll just pop him into a smallish drawer, and that will be that."  
  
"Well.. well, that's good. At least we won't have to put him up here. The place was starting to turn into a hotel."  
  
"So you don't have a problem with that then?"  
  
"Of course not. Why would I?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you love her and you don't want to see her hurt?"  
  
"I'm fine. I've been a solo-act most of my two hundred forty plus years. And now that I'm not.."  
  
"What?"  
  
"What if this doesn't work out between us?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, the first time we were this happy together, it didn't end well. And I left to give you a normal life.. And now, here we are, back together and happier than we've ever been. It's not going to end well."  
  
"Angel, it is going to end well. You know how I know?"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Because we love each other. A lot of married couples my age don't have that. Now we've got the exact thing we've always wanted."  
  
"That's what I mean though. Buffy, the odds have always been against us. Every time we get what we want together, it ends badly."  
  
"That was only that one time. Now your soul is bound to you. Nothing can take you away from me now. I love you. I have always loved you. And I'll never stop loving you. You've always doubted our love together. You've always tried to make decisions for me. Well, it's going to stop. Let it go Angel. Just let it go. Be happy for once in your entire life. Live the moment that is now and savor the days that have gone by. If there is one thing I've learned since that awful day that I clawed out of my grave, it's that life doesn't wait for you to jump on and be happy. Once your chance is gone, it's gone. Your chance is now Angel. Are you going to jump and be happy? Or are you going to lose this opportunity and lose me and Conner doing it?" Buffy said the last part with such sadness that it broke Angel's heart to have made her say it.  
  
He was about to answer her, but there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"  
  
Lorne stepped over the threshold and shut the door. "Can I see you out in the hall Angel?"  
  
Angel got up and followed Angel out in the hall, shutting the door behind him. "What?"  
  
"I didn't mean to interrupt your little moment, but as I was passing by I heard what Blondie said. Is everything all right between you two?"  
  
"It's fine. I was just.."  
  
"Being a party poop? That girl in there, that woman in there that is carrying your child loves you more than anything you have ever known. And she's right; you do need to just let it go. I read her as you guys came in and she was humming. She's happy, but you're holding her back."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes, you. She won't ever be truly happy unless you let go and allow her to be. And allow yourself. Don't let this one go Angel cakes; she's your only shot at redemption. She always has been and I'll be a purple people eater if I let you dim your ray of sunshine. Stick with this beauty, she loves you and she's got plenty of love to give if you'll allow yourself to give her all of yours." With that, Lorne walked off to his room down the hallway.  
  
Angel stood there for a few minutes staring at the door to his room. Was he really prepared to finally let everything go and love this woman with every fiber of his being? Was he prepared to lose all of his guilt for his past sins in this tiny woman's arms? The very same woman that he had found pure happiness with four years ago for the first time in his 249 years, even if it was only for a moment. Was he really ready? There was only one way for him to be sure.  
  
Opening the door, Angel walked in and shut it softly. Buffy lay curled on the bed, one arm stretched to lay where Angel should be laying. He walked over to his side of the bed and quietly slipped in. He laid there and looked at her. After a few minutes, Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him.  
  
"Buffy, I want to tell you something." Angel said.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Buffy's eyes gleamed with tears. A smile spread over her already gorgeous face to make her even more beautiful. She reached her hand over and laid it on Angel's cheek. It gently took it and kissed her palm.  
  
"I want you to know that I am ready to love you. I am ready to love this child. I want you and only you. Screw the Powers if this wasn't meant for us. We mean it for us and that's all that matters. If you're ready, we can face anything that comes our way. If you're ready, I want to show you how much I love you."  
  
"I love you Angel. And I am ready. I've been ready from the moment I first looked into your eyes."  
  
Angel pulled her to him and kissed her with more passion than they had ever created together.  
  
That night, they made love over and over again until the sun came up. It had been as loving as the first time they had come together. When the sun rose, they were out on the balcony watching the sheer beauty of it. Buffy kissed Angel's two most precious rings, his Claddagh and the Gem of Amara, as he kissed her Claddagh and their most cherished, unborn possession.  
  
  
  
Angel and Buffy came down the stairs into the lobby. Wesley was moving about behind the reception counter.  
  
"Hey." Angel said happily.  
  
"Morning you two. You both are just glowing today!" Wes said.  
  
Buffy and Angel looked at each other and smiled.  
  
"You're the only one here?" Buffy asked.  
  
"So far. How's young Conner today?"  
  
"He's good. Perfectly content like his mother. Actually, I think he's sleeping."  
  
"Cordelia, she's usually in by now, isn't she?" Angel asked.  
  
"It's early. I imagine she and Groosalug where up late. They have a lot of catching up to do."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Actually, I was hoping you and I could talk before the others got here."  
  
"Sure. What is it?" Angel and Wes went into the office while Buffy went to get breakfast.  
  
"Well it's the fact of him. I know his sudden arrival was something we all needed a moment to digest. Still, there are questions."  
  
"You're suspicious."  
  
"'Cautious' might be a better word."  
  
"You think he's evil."  
  
"Evil?"  
  
"Okay, maybe not evil, but he's definitely hiding something. Does he seem shorter to you?"  
  
"We are both talking about Conner, aren't we?"  
  
"What about Conner?" Buffy asked, coming into the office with a thing of yogurt.  
  
"He shouldn't exist."  
  
"His birth was foretold. How many people can say that?"  
  
"He has a role to play, that's true, but we still don't know what that role is. We can't be afraid to ask the questions, because your guy's enemies, his enemies, certainly won't be."  
  
"You're right. We should be prepared." Angel said  
  
"I'm glad you agree. However, with the loss of the Nyazian Prophecies, we'll probably have to look elsewhere for our answers."  
  
"Well, we both know where those prophecies went. Maybe it's time to make another assault on Wolfram and Hart."  
  
"That might not be necessary. Not yet, anyway. There should be other sources. Ancient works accumulate scholarship, commentary over the years."  
  
"Huh. You think somebody else has already done the work for us."  
  
"That's my hope. I've been looking into it. I just.. I felt you should know."  
  
"I wanna be involved, completely."  
  
"Involved with who?" Cordy asked, coming in to the lobby.  
  
They all spun to see Cordy set some stuff on the counter. Buffy and Angel walked out to see her.  
  
"You're here. And.. so is he." Angel said, noticing Gru messing with Angel's weapons.  
  
"Angel. Your weapons are most impressive." Gru said.  
  
"Thanks. Thank you. Can you, uh, ask him not to handle my weapons?" Angel asked Cordy.  
  
"Oh, relax. If there's one thing Gru knows, it's how to handle a weapon. Poor guy. Looks like that's about all he's gonna be handling." Cordy said.  
  
"You mean, ah, you two didn't.."  
  
"I got him home last night and we started.. you know. But then I couldn't go through with it."  
  
"You couldn't?" Buffy asked.  
  
"No. Not after seeing that disgusting, spiny thing!"  
  
"Spiny?"  
  
"Right up in my face! That's what the visions are like now. No pain, less artsy, sometimes floaty, though not lately, and very often stinky."  
  
"You had a vision?" Wes asked.  
  
"Yeah. Big as life last night, while Gru and I were getting reacquainted. Kind of a mood killer, I got to say."  
  
"You should have called one of us."  
  
"Oh, please! Like I'm gonna bother you guys in the middle of the night because I want sex and can't have it."  
  
Buffy and Angel looked a little guilty.  
  
"And you two obviously did." Cordy said.  
  
"Well, uh.." Angel said.  
  
"Actually, I meant the vision." Wes said, giving the couple a gracious save.  
  
"Oh. That. Well, it's not rising up until sometime later today." Cordy said.  
  
"Oh. Why can't you have sex?"  
  
"I could lose my 'visionity.'"  
  
"If you wanna play it that way."  
  
"Vision-ity! The visions. When that one hit my last night, it hit me. In Pylea the visions were supposed to pass to Gru if we ever did the royal com- shuck. How do I know that won't happen here?"  
  
"Good point. You really don't." Angel said.  
  
"But your recent transformation could have changed all that. It might be possible to.." Wes said.  
  
"Still, you know, better safe than sorry. You're doing the right thing."  
  
"I know. I know. I can't risk it. It's just.. I'm so.. And he's such a.. Rrrr.. Don't you think?" Cordy said.  
  
"Yeah, sure." Angel said.  
  
"Certainly." Wes said.  
  
"Oh yeah." Buffy said.  
  
"I mean, there's gotta be other things we can do to relieve the tension!" Cordy said.  
  
"Jogging could be the thing." Angel suggested.  
  
"Perhaps some form of paranormal prophylactic.." Wes said.  
  
"Because, you know, jogging.."  
  
"I guess we could probably 'com' without actually 'shucking.'" Cordy said, looking at Gru.  
  
"Well, I don't know. That could be a slippery slope that once you're on, that you could slide."  
  
"At least I won't be upsetting the average around here. Nobody in this office is ever gonna get any." Cordy said. Buffy and Angel coughed. "Oh, 'cept Romeo and Juliet here"  
  
"Uh, Cordy?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Aren't you going to introduce us?"  
  
"Oh! God! That's right, you've never met Gru, have you? Come on." Cordy grabbed Buffy and the hand and led her up to Gru. "Gru, sweetie?"  
  
"Yes Princess?" Gru turned with a sword, nearly hacking off Cordy's ear.  
  
"This is my friend Buffy. She's married to Angel."  
  
"Hi." Buffy said.  
  
"Hello Buffy. I am the Groosalug from Pylea. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Gru said giving Buffy a little bow.  
  
"Buffy's a slayer. She kills demons and stuff because these stuffy old people in England said she has to." Cordy said.  
  
"That's not true!" Wesley said.  
  
"Oh give it up!"  
  
"They're not all old and stuffy."  
  
"Ok, they're all stuffy."  
  
Angel walked up and slipped his arm around Buffy's waist possessively. "She's having my baby."  
  
"You are a vampire. How is this possible?" Gru asked.  
  
"That's a funny story actually." Wes said.  
  
"There was a prophecy, with the warriors of light, us, coming together and making one." Angel said, the testosterone and ego poisoning obvious.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance too, little light warrior." Gru said to Buffy's stomach. "I take it this was made com-shucking?"  
  
"Many times."  
  
"Congratulations." Gru looked at Buffy. "Please, will you tell me more about being the.."  
  
"Slayer." Buffy said. "Sure."  
  
She and Gru went over to the settee and sat down. They started to talk about Buffy being the slayer and what it was like.  
  
"Isn't that adorable? Gru is making nice with Buffy." Cordy said.  
  
"Hey, no body is making nice with my wife except me." Angel said.  
  
"I meant that he was making friends with her. Geez Angel, possessive much?" Cordy walked off.  
  
"I'm not possessive. Just in love." Angel said to himself.  
  
  
  
"We've identified the demon from Cordelia's vision as a Senih'd. We believe it will rise in the mid-city area sometime before nightfall." Wesley said, handing Gunn an open book.  
  
Gunn and Fred had gotten to the Hyperion about two hours ago. Buffy and Gru had finished talking about an hour ago and Angel had immediately whisked Buffy away from him and taken her to their room. Dawn had woken up three hours before and introduced herself to Gru. Dawn had joined in Buffy and Gru's conversation and instantly taken with his stories that he told when Buffy would finish one of hers. Now they were all convened in Wes's office and talking about the latest baddy.  
  
"The Senih'd manifests in its physical form for one purpose only to feed." Wes continued.  
  
"Seen it." Cordy said as Fred handed her the book after she had taken it from Gunn.  
  
Cordy gave the book to Gru who looked at it. Angel looked over Gru's shoulder while Gru showed it to Buffy. Angel stood on tiptoe and then dropped back down. He did it a couple times more before Buffy looked at him funny and smacked him on the arm.  
  
"Angel and Buffy will take the sewer tunnels. The rest of us will go by car to Sorensen Park. We'll enter the underground from the water treatment plant there, double back. Hopefully by the time we meet up again.." Wes said.  
  
"I know this creature. It resembles the Bleaucha, which nest in the scum pits of Ur. I've slain many." Gru said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Tracking it will be simple. Killing it, more difficult."  
  
"Well, yeah." Angel said.  
  
"Alright then. Gru, you go with Buffy and Angel. Lets move out."  
  
They all started to leave and Angel pulled Buffy and Wes aside. "I don't think that's such a good idea, me and Buffy and him. You know, we're more loners. Plus, he's so bulky. He could really slow us down!"  
  
"He's an experienced warrior. He should be a great asset to you two." Wes said.  
  
"Angel, we'll be fine. Gru is cool." Buffy said. "And besides, I'm more bulky than he is."  
  
"Well.." Angel looked over at Gru and Cordy at the weapons cabinet. "That's my favorite broadsword!"  
  
"You'll be fine, Angel." Wes said.  
  
"Are you sure you're gonna be warm enough? The sewers are pretty damp." Cordy said to Gru.  
  
"I shall be fine." Gru said.  
  
Cordy handed a weapon to Angel without even looking away from Gru. "Okay."  
  
Angel looked at the axe with the small head on it and showed it to Buffy who had chosen a crossbow. She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"Let's go." Angel said. 


	17. Couplet (part 2)

Chapter 17  
  
Couplet (part 2)  
  
"I shall present this beast's head to my princess as a token." Gru said.  
  
"Right. 'Cause she'll love that." Angel said.  
  
He, Buffy, and Gru were walking through the sewers looking for the demon from Cordy's vision.  
  
"You sense anything?" Angel asked Buffy.  
  
It was Gru who answered first. "A deep sadness." Buffy and Angel stopped and stared at him. "My princess. She is unhappy. I fear I am the cause."  
  
"No. No, she's not unhappy you're here, Gru. She's thrilled." Buffy said.  
  
"Then what keeps her from me? There is a distance as if her heart is not free."  
  
"I.. I think, that maybe she's afraid to get too close. She's, uh, scared if she does, she'll, uh, lose something." Angel said.  
  
"But I would give myself to her."  
  
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a low growl. Buffy held her hand up to stop Gru. She didn't need to with Angel because they had fought together so long that they could literally synchronize their fights. Angel touched some liquid spots on the ground, and then rubbed his fingers together, looking at them.  
  
"It is wounded. It bleeds." Gru said.  
  
"It's better than bread crumbs. Lets go." Buffy said. Angel stepped in front of her and Gru stepped next to her. They were flanking her so she wouldn't get hurt. Buffy figured the only reason that Angel let her come along was she was an excellent tracker and Angel didn't want her to get in trouble back at the hotel.  
  
Angel, Buffy, and Gru entered what looked like the water treatment plant Wes was talking about. The Senih'd dropped off some pipes behind them. The three turned and attacked the demon together. The Senih'd managed to disarm both Angel and Gru fairly early into the fight, but neither Angel nor Gru let that slow them down. Buffy stepped in and shot the demon through the leg to try to slow it down. It hit her across the face hard enough to send her crashing into the wall. Angel took a bit more of a beating than Gru, but other than that they were doing about the same against the monster. Until it let out a scream and broke through the wall to escape into the sunny park outside.  
  
Angel scrambled back out of the sunlight streaming in through the opening. Gru picked up his dropped sword, and then held out a hand to help Angel up.  
  
"Come." Gru said.  
  
Angel just looked at Gru, not moving. Screams sounded from outside, and Gru turned to run after the Senih'd. Buffy went to Angel as he was getting up.  
  
"Where's your ring?" Buffy asked.  
  
"I took it off when we took a shower. I guess I must have forgotten to put it back on." Angel said.  
  
They turned and watched Gru rescue the young woman the Senih'd has grabbed. The demon tried to use the woman as a shield against Gru's sword, but Gru managed to knock them apart. Cordy, Wes, Gunn, Dawn, and Fred came running over a rise in the park, just in time to see Gru catch the woman in one arm, while knocking the Senih'd down and stabbing it deep into the back of its neck. The demon dissolved into an oily black puddle that seeped away into the ground. The woman Gru had rescued clung to him as if her life depended on him.  
  
"Well done." Wes said. "I must say, excellent work." People in the park gathered around Gru and the others and started to applaud. "Well done."  
  
Wes looked over at the hole in the wall and saw Buffy and Angel standing in the shadows watching.  
  
Buffy looked at Angel. "Come on. Let's go home."  
  
"All right." Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and they walked back through the tunnels to the Hyperion. They got there before any one else had. Buffy led Angel over to the settee where he helped her sit down.  
  
"Angel, I want to talk to you." Buffy said.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"It's about you and Gru. I take it there is some definite tension there."  
  
"No. No, there isn't."  
  
Buffy glared at him.  
  
"Maybe a little."  
  
More glare.  
  
"Ok, there is. There's just something really off putting about him. I know, I know.. he has won Cordy's affections and I love Cordy like a sister. Maybe it's just me wanting to protect her, but there is something that I don't like about him."  
  
"Get to know him. You haven't given him a chance."  
  
"What if I don't want to give him a chance? He tried to kill me in Pylea."  
  
"You tried to kill me."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I gave you a chance. Where would we be if I hadn't given you a chance? You went to the Bronze to kill me five years ago and you were Angel. I told you to go ahead and you couldn't do it. I gave you a chance to love me and I wanted to get to know you better. And we did. Look at us now. I'm not saying that you and Gru are going to fall madly in love with each other, but I am saying that you could be friends with him if you just try. Will you try, for me?"  
  
"Can I beat him up once?"  
  
"Maybe. Depends on the circumstances."  
  
"Ok."  
  
  
  
"You think you know someone. You think your place is secure and that there's a future there." Ms. Frakes said.  
  
Buffy and Angel were sitting across from Ms. Frakes behind Wes' desk, watching Gru as he reenacted his fight with the demon for Cordy, Dawn, Gunn, and Fred.  
  
"And then something happens. No, strike that. Some ONE happens! They insinuate themselves, pushing you out, taking your place."  
  
Angel turned his attention back to Ms. Frakes. "And what makes you think this other woman is a witch, Ms. Frakes?"  
  
"Why else would Jerry cheat on me? We've been engaged for eight years! She had to have put some kind of a spell on him."  
  
Angel leaned back in his chair, taking Buffy back with him. Her head was lying on his shoulder and he had wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Angel had tried to convince her to go to bed, but she wouldn't go without him. "Well, if you give me the woman's name I'll have someone check her out. See if we can find out if she's a witch."  
  
"HotBlonde37159." Ms. Frakes handed Angel some papers. "I got these off the e-mails that I took from Jerry's computer."  
  
"It's, ah, gonna.. uh, it's gonna be pretty difficult to find her based solely on this."  
  
"Well, just follow Jerry! I'm sure he'll lead you right to her."  
  
Angel looked up at Wes as he entered the office. "Ms Frakes here wants us to stake out her fiancé. I was trying to explain to her that.."  
  
"I think we can spare someone to keep an eye on Ms Frakes' fiancé. Gunn!" Wes called. Gunn got up from the settee. "If witchcraft is involved we should probably look into it."  
  
"What's up?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Ah, Gunn, Ms Frakes here needs some surveillance work. I thought, if you were free.."  
  
"Yeah, not a problem."  
  
"Good. She'll give you the details. I'll leave it in your hands."  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
Fred came into the office and smiled. "We won't let you down."  
  
With that, the two left with Ms. Frakes. Wesley stared after Fred. Buffy lifted her head and looked at Wes.  
  
"You ok?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yes."  
  
"Who were you on the phone with?" Angel asked.  
  
"Oh, a book store. A rare book store." Wes started to walk off, but turned around. "Would you like to come with me?"  
  
"Sure." Buffy said.  
  
"I don't know. Are you certain you're up for it?" Angel asked Buffy.  
  
"I'm up for it."  
  
"Ok. Let me get our coats and we'll go with you."  
  
  
  
"I don't know. Maybe they should just do it, you know? Get it over with." Angel was saying as they entered the shop.  
  
"I'm sorry?" Wes asked.  
  
"He means Cordy and Gru." Buffy clarified.  
  
"She's being all noble for the good of the team. She should just make with the com-shuck. That's what she wants." Angel said.  
  
"Oh." Wes said.  
  
"May I help you?" the guy running the store asked.  
  
"Yes. I phoned earlier about Grammaticus Third Century Greek Commentaries."  
  
"Of course. The G.T.C.G.C. I'll be just one moment."  
  
The guy went to a back room and Angel continued talking.  
  
"I mean, why not? You know, life is short. Okay, not mine, but, you know, most people's. And if Gru does it for her, she should go for it. Make him happy. Make her happy. Make everybody happy."  
  
"But still office romance complicates things. What if they should have a row, or break up?" Wes asked.  
  
"You see where this office romance ended up don't you?" Buffy asked sarcastically.  
  
"All of us fight with each other at some point. I don't see it changing things much." Angel said.  
  
"Well, she said it herself. It could risk the visions." Wes said.  
  
"Okay. So the visions pass to Gru. He gets them instead of her. So what?"  
  
"Are you suggesting Groosalug could replace Cordelia?"  
  
"Maybe not Cordelia."  
  
"I see. You think he could replace you."  
  
"I don't know. Seems to me, here is a guy who can do everything I can and a few things I can't."  
  
"Awe, sweetie, that's not true." Buffy said.  
  
"You saw what happened this afternoon. If Gru hadn't been there.."  
  
"I would have gone after it."  
  
"And the rest of us would have. Angel, you're the reason we've all come together. It's your mission which animates us. We each contribute, it's true, but you.. you're unique. You're like one of these rare volumes. One of a kind." Wes said.  
  
The guy walked back out and said, "I've got three of them."  
  
Angel groaned and walked out to the car. Buffy looked at Wesley who nodded to tell her everything was going to be ok there. She walked out after him and caught up with him half way down the street.  
  
"Angel." Buffy said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"He's not going to replace you. He's going to be a part of the team. And besides, he'll be a help when you're in Sunnydale."  
  
Angel just looked at her.  
  
"What did we talk about earlier?"  
  
"When? We talk about a lot of things Buffy."  
  
"I meant last night. You know, about being happy with who you are and what you've got. And the life jumping stuff."  
  
"Oh, that."  
  
"Yeah, that." Buffy sighed. "Gru's not you. If he were, he would be mine. But he's Cordy's. And that would be weird cause you said Cordy is like a sister to you and if Gru was you, that be like, incest, or whatever."  
  
Angel laughed.  
  
"See. You're not Gru, cause Gru wouldn't get that."  
  
Angel smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. They stood there hugging for a few more seconds before Wesley came up to them and smiled. The three walked back to the car and drove home.  
  
Wesley read pretty much the whole way while Buffy and Angel talked about Gru and the differences between them. Wes joined in just as they pulled up to the Hyperion.  
  
"Well, ah, Wesley thanks for what you said before. You put things into perspective for me." Angel said.  
  
"Glad I could. While I do believe having another warrior for good may be an asset in the coming days, truth is, you and the Groosalug are two totally different people.." Wes trailed off as they opened the doors and found Gru standing there. His hair was cut short and he was wearing Angel's clothes.  
  
"Uh, hello." Gru said.  
  
"..who look exactly alike." Wes finished.  
  
"He's wearing my clothes." Angel said under his breath.  
  
"Good fit." Buffy said.  
  
"Where's Cordelia?"  
  
Cordy came out of the office, a huge smile on her face. "Oh, good. You're back."  
  
"He's wearing my clothes."  
  
"What? Oh, yeah. I.. I didn't think you'd mind. Turns out you guys are about the same size. I think he's a little taller. Looks great though, doesn't he? Buffy, I need your help."  
  
"What happened? You had a vision?" Buffy asked.  
  
"What? Oh, no. No, it's nothing like that. Um. This is personal."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I wouldn't ask, except, ah, there's really no one else I can trust with this. It's something only you can do?"  
  
Buffy led Cordy into the office and sat her down in the chair while Buffy took the desk. "Tell me."  
  
"You've done so much for me already and.. Well, this is just one more thing for the list, I guess."  
  
"There is no list. You know that. Just.. just tell me what I can do."  
  
"I need you to help me have sex with Gru."  
  
Buffy looked out the window at Gru who was talking to Wes and Angel. Angel wasn't really listening; he was too concerned with what Buffy and Cordy were talking about. Cordy grinned at Gru behind Buffy's back and waved. Gru waved and smiled back. Buffy lifted a hand, wiggled her fingers a little and raised her eyebrows, while trying to smile back.  
  
"I realized something today. It's not the threat of losing the visions that's been keeping me from being close. It's me. The Visions are just an excuse. I mean there's always some excuse." Cordy said.  
  
"Right." Buffy said.  
  
"I'm tired of being lonely."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So I worked it out."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yes! It was something Wesley said a paranormal prophylactic. And that got me thinking. I couldn't be the only woman on earth that had some supernatural gift that could be lost through physical intimacy."  
  
"Stands to reason."  
  
"So I started researching and anyway, I'm right. There is a potion, a protective potion. I take it and bang! I can."  
  
"A potion?"  
  
"Yeah. Anyway, this woman's name is Anita, and she's kind of in the business. Makes love potions, elixirs, things like that. She says she's got just the thing at this address." Cordy handed a slip of paper to Buffy.  
  
"You want me to get this for you?"  
  
"I went to my ATM, got cash. Nearly cleaned me out, but I think it's worth it." Cordy handed Buffy some money.  
  
"So you and Gru can.."  
  
"Com-shuck like bunnies. You betcha."  
  
"Why don't you just send him?"  
  
"I am sending him. He kind of insists on it, but that's why I need you."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"He doesn't know this world. I can't send him into a demon brothel all by himself! I mean, I trust him, but I'm not crazy."  
  
Buffy stepped back. "Brothel?"  
  
"You'd be safe there. No woman's gonna tempt you, right?"  
  
"R.. right."  
  
Gru and Angel walked in.  
  
"Are we ready?" Gru asked.  
  
"I think so." Cordy said.  
  
"We're most grateful for your help, Buffy. You've been a true friend to us both." Gru said, throwing his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Yeah." Buffy said.  
  
They started to head out. Buffy grabbed Angel's arm desperately and dragged him along.  
  
"Where are we going?" Angel asked.  
  
"A brothel." Buffy said.  
  
"What!?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, I love your outfits." Anita said. Buffy, Angel, and Gru followed her through the mansion that wasn't exactly what ANYONE would imagine a brothel would be like. This one had demons as their whores!  
  
"Well, I really wouldn't call them 'outfits.'" Angel said.  
  
"But you are together?"  
  
Gru put his arms around Buffy and Angel. "Yes! Three champions here together." Buffy and Angel pushed Gru's arms off. And Angel said, "Not 'together' together. Just 'get the potion' together. I'm with her. She's my wife." Angel grabbed Buffy and pulled her to him.  
  
"So I may com-shuck my princess."  
  
"Just to reiterate," Angel pointed at himself, "NOT.." Angel got distracted by the sound of laughter, "the princess.."  
  
Buffy and Angel stopped to stare into a room where a couple was having a pillow fight.  
  
"The room is enchanted. Everything that happens in there, every touch, every emotion, every desire is extended for maximum pleasure. I can check the schedule if the lovely couple would like." Anita said to Buffy and Angel as she led Gru down the corridor. After a moment, they followed Gru and Anita. "Just right in here."  
  
Anita led Gru into a big bedroom. A man wearing dress pants and a shirt was manacled to one of the walls.  
  
"Oh, hello!" the man said.  
  
"Fear not, friend. We are here to save you!" Gru said, rushing over to the man, trying to pull him out of the manacles.  
  
"Hey! Get off!" the man cried.  
  
Buffy and Angel walked in and Angel went and pulled Gru away. "Gru! Gru, I think he's happy there."  
  
"As a slave?"  
  
"Don't judge me." The man said.  
  
"Come on." Angel looked at the man. "Sorry." Then back at Anita. "If you'll just give us the potion, we'll be.."  
  
"You brought cash?" Anita asked.  
  
Buffy pulled out the wad of cash that Cordy had given her and she handed it to Anita. Anita took it then lifted one hand up into the air. There was a little tinkling sound and her hand was enveloped in a deep blue light. As she brought her hand back down she was holding a small metal bottle.  
  
"Make sure to tell your princess to drink it all at once." Anita said to Gru. Gru took and it and Anita turned to Buffy and Angel. "I know why your earnest friend is here, but why are you two here? What's in it for you? I think you've already gotten what you wanted."  
  
They just stood there, Angel ignoring the ringing cell phone.  
  
"Angel, your coat is singing." Gru said.  
  
Buffy took the cell phone out of her husband's pocket and opened it. "Hello. What? Gunn? I can barely hear you."  
  
"Yeah, reception's not so great, is it?" Gunn asked.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"Under Plummer Park."  
  
"Under it?"  
  
"Pretty much. We were tailing that woman's fiancé.."  
  
"Jerry." Fred said in the background.  
  
"..and we kind of lost him."  
  
"But then we found him sort of."  
  
"Him and his date. Some root-crazy, tree-like demony thing."  
  
"With what looks like a DSL connection. We're pretty sure he chats up lonely hearts online, and then sucks them down here for food. Or maybe it gets its power that way."  
  
"Monster's got a big, old, leathery joint jammed up into the guy. I think it's sucking the life out of him."  
  
"What.. have you called Wesley yet?" Buffy asked.  
  
"We were kind of hoping we wouldn't have to." Gunn said.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"We just didn't want to bother him with this."  
  
"Bother him?"  
  
"Look. Nothing against Wes, but I'm not sure he can help us out at the moment. What we really need is Gru and you and Angel. Can I talk to Gru?"  
  
"Oh, uh.." Buffy handed Gru the cell phone. "It's for you."  
  
"Hello?" Gru said into the earpiece. "Hello?"  
  
"Uh, Gru.." Buffy flipped the phone so he could talk to Gunn.  
  
"Oh! Thank you. Hello?"  
  
"Gru, we need your help." Gunn said. 


	18. Couplet (part 3)

Chapter 18  
  
Couplet (part 3)  
  
Gru led the way through the sewers. They had been walking for a little while and Buffy was getting a little tired. Her feet hurt, her back ached, and she was pretty sure her ankles were swollen to the size of large mangos.  
  
"I am honored they requested the Groosalug to save them." Gru said.  
  
"I wouldn't say requested, more like included. Hang on. Here. Here. Did you feel it?" Angel asked.  
  
"Something evil."  
  
"Whoa, easy. Slow down, Champ! We have to be very careful here."  
  
"You're right. Will you keep this safe?" Gru asked Buffy, handing her the bottle with the potion in it.  
  
"Fine." Buffy took it and stuck it in her coat pocket.  
  
They started to walk a little ways and Buffy hung back. Angel stopped and turned to her. She had her hand on her stomach and a look of pain on her face.  
  
"Buffy?" Angel asked.  
  
"It's nothing. Conner's just not too happy that I'm uncomfortable." Buffy said.  
  
"You're uncomfortable?"  
  
"Just my feet and back hurt and my ankles are swollen."  
  
"You should go home."  
  
"We're too far away. Besides, the car is just out on the street about a block away."  
  
"Then you should go back. Sit down. Relax."  
  
"Hmm, let me think. A small pregnant girl sitting alone in a car out in the dark? Sounds like a party for the vamps."  
  
"I see your point." Angel sighed. "Fine. But we've just got to be, you know, a little bit more.."  
  
Gru took off at a dead run.  
  
"..patient."  
  
Gru started to slash at the roots as he entered the cave.  
  
"It's Gru!" Fred cried.  
  
"Over here!" Gunn called.  
  
Gru let out another battle cry. The face in the trunk roared back. A root shot out and buried itself in the middle of Gru's chest. Gru dropped the sword as he was pulled up beside the now released Jerry, who was lying motionless on the ground.  
  
"What are we gonna do now?" Fred asked.  
  
Angel came running in through the roots. "That's my shirt!"  
  
"Angel?" Buffy asked.  
  
He turned to find her coat tangled in a root that had decided to grab her and hold her hostage. He started to untangle her as he asked, "This thing is not actually made out of wood, is it?"  
  
"No, it's flesh." Fred said.  
  
"Good." Angel finished helping Buffy out of the roots and went to pick up Gru's dropped sword. "Flesh I can deal with. Flesh I can kill."  
  
"But I don't think hacking it is going to do any good. It doesn't seem to have any vital organs. It uses people as batteries. It draws its power from its victims."  
  
Angel looked from the root-demon's snarling face to Gru, who was groaning and straining against the root buried in his chest.  
  
"And it's been getting stronger since it tapped into Gru." Gunn said.  
  
"Really? Stronger? Come on! He can't be that great." Angel said.  
  
"He is the Groosalug." Fred said.  
  
Gunn looked at Fred as Angel dropped the sword and walked to the face in the tree.  
  
"What do you think? Honestly. Does he seem really 'better' than other men?" Angel asked.  
  
"He's magnificent." The tree thing said.  
  
"Really? I'd say more like magnificently stupid. Because him with the beer tap in his chest and me with the, you know, just walking around." Angel walked up to Gru. "And I'm really getting tired of the 'Groosa- worship' thing." Angel slugged Gru in the face. The root-demon let out a roar. "Nothing personal, champ. Oh! Everyone makes such a big deal about the Groosalug." He slugged Gru again. The root-demon roared. "He's such a champion." Slug. Roar. "He's so rugged." Slug. Roar. "He's so emotionally available." Slug. Roar. "Look at him in the daylight." Slug. Roar. "But you know what? I'm smarter, and I'm stronger, and I pick out my own clothes!"  
  
Angel kicked Gru. The demon roared, withdrew its tap-root from Gru, and buried it in Angel's chest instead.  
  
"Angel!" Buffy cried.  
  
Angel dropped to his knees, catching himself on his left hand, while his right wrapped around the taproot. "Okay. Oh, jeez. Well, it's okay. You know, no one is using my heart at the moment anyway."  
  
"Kill you." the tree thing said.  
  
"Sorry. Already dead."  
  
"Vampire!"  
  
"Yeah. Did I mention that?"  
  
"Cold. Cold."  
  
"Oh, yeah. It's kinda cold in there. But, hey, don't let that stop you."  
  
The tree demon moaned. The root bindings around Gunn and Fred shriveled and dropped away. Buffy jumped up, grabbed Gru's dropped sword.  
  
"So cold!" The tree said.  
  
"So dead!" Buffy roared at the tree. She buried the sword in the root- demon's face. A yellowish green liquid poured out.  
  
Fred and Gunn went to check on Gru, while Buffy checked on Angel.  
  
"How is he?" Angel asked.  
  
"Pretty beat up. Still alive thanks to you." Fred said.  
  
"Beat up huh?"  
  
"You got what you wanted. Are you happy now?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Oh yeah. This chest sucking business, this is the stuff."  
  
Buffy laughed and tried to help Angel to his feet. Gunn had to help her because her large belly got in the way.  
  
  
  
"Yes, Ms Frakes. We are, too. You're welcome. Good bye." Wesley hung up phone. "Well, Ms Frakes is very happy. You saved her fiancé's life."  
  
"So he's gonna be okay?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's good." Gunn said.  
  
"Well, good work. You should probably get cleaned up, then."  
  
"Yeah. Good idea." Fred said, getting up.  
  
"Uh, Charles.. A word?"  
  
Gunn and Wes stared at each other for a moment.  
  
"Well, good night." Fred said.  
  
"Good night. What is it?" Gunn asked Wes.  
  
"When you knew this was more than just a tryst you should have told me." Wes said.  
  
"It happened so fast. The thing just grabbed the guy and he was gone."  
  
"That's.. That's not what I meant."  
  
"Oh. You mean.." Gunn pointed a thumb back over his shoulder. "Well.. I'm not so sure that's any of your business."  
  
"No. You're probably right. Still.. She could get hurt. I trust that won't happen?"  
  
"What are you, her brother?"  
  
"Apparently."  
  
"Wesley, I.."  
  
"She chose. It's just important to me that she's taken care of."  
  
"She will be."  
  
"Good."  
  
Wes picked up his pen and went back to working on translating the open book in front of him. Gunn watched him for a moment then turned to go. Halfway to the door he turned back and opened his mouth, but closed it again without speaking and left. Wes looked up.  
  
Angel scrunched up his face, as buttons rained to the floor.  
  
"Sorry." Cordy said.  
  
"It's, uh.. it's okay. It, uh.. was already ruined." Angel said.  
  
"Well, if it's any consolation, I planned to rip it off him later anyway. You did get the potion, didn't you?"  
  
Angel reached into Buffy's coat that was hanging on a coat rack and pulled out the little bottle. "Yeah. We.. we got it."  
  
"Well. This isn't so bad. You heal almost as fast as he does." Cordy said to Gru.  
  
"Princess, I.. I have a confession to make." Gru said.  
  
"Gru." Angel said.  
  
Gru looked over at Angel, who silently shook his head 'no' at him. Cordy pulled his face back around to look at her.  
  
"A confession? What.. what confession? Did something happen at the brothel? Buffy was supposed to look after him!" Cordy said.  
  
"Nothing happened! Except your boyfriend here was very brave, and saved the day." Angel said.  
  
"You did? You big hero!"  
  
"No. I was reckless! I put everyone in grave peril. Angel is the true champion. He saved us all." Gru said.  
  
"Did you hear that?"  
  
"Yeah, but.." Angel said.  
  
"How many guys would just give away the credit like that? That is just so noble." Cordy held out her hand. "The potion."  
  
Angel put the flask into her outstretched hand. Cordy took it then grabbed Gru by his shirt and pulled him up off the settee. "Let's get our of here! See ya!" They practically ran towards the exit.  
  
"Cordelia." Angel said.  
  
Cordy stopped and looked back at Angel. "What?"  
  
When Angel only stood there, Cordy held up a finger to Gru then walked back to Angel.  
  
"What is it?" Cordy asked.  
  
Angel took one of her hands and put a roll off dollar bills tied with a string into it.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Just some money I saved up." Angel said.  
  
"Why? What for?"  
  
"I did something for you tonight. Now I want you to do something for me. Don't come in tomorrow. In fact, don't come in for a couple of weeks. Take Gru some place nice. Somewhere where there is sun. He'd like that."  
  
"Angel..."  
  
"Promise me."  
  
Cordy shook her head a little as she looked down at the money. "Okay."  
  
Cordy turned to leave, then turned back and touched the hole in Angel's shirt where the tentacle went into his heart. "You sure you don't need some patching up yourself?" Angel looked down at his chest. "No, I.. I'm good. Didn't hurt a bit. Besides, I've got Buffy."  
  
Cordy looked at him for a moment. "Take care of her Angel. I'll leave after the baby is born though." Angel nodded and she turned and walked out with Gru. As the door closed Wes came out of his office. Angel looked at him then turned towards the stairs.  
  
When Angel reached his room, Buffy was curled up in a chair, a book of his in her lap. She was sound asleep. Taking the book from her gently, he put it on the desk beside her and then picked her up. Angel took her over to the bed and laid her down. She grumbled something as he started to take off her boots and jeans. He lifted her so he could take her shirt off for her. Laying her back down, Angel went and got her one of his silk shirts. He slipped it on her and buttoned it up. Angel went over to the chair by the bed and sat down. He just looked at her. This was his life now. This was his Shanshu as far as he was concerned. And for the first time for longer than a moment, Angel was perfectly happy.  
  
The End  
  
A/N Ok everyone, you wanna know what happens? Read my story "My Own Version of the Buffyverse." This was just a prequel. Look for a new MOVotB coming in about a month or two. I have figured out a way to do a sequel to it. I will rewrite all the new episodes of Buffy and Angel so it fits into the story I have written. All of this I would like to dedicate to my "Willow." You know who you are. This is for all the B/A fans out there girl! 


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